Holding Out For A Hero
by King Aria
Summary: Typically, the hero rescues and courts the princess. However, what happens to the story when two princes meet while trying to save the same princess? And even worse: what'll become of the true hero when one prince, along the way, falls in love with the other? {SasuNaru — Birthday fic for Jojo!}
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Happy Birthday to you, Jordan! Because you sit on the other side of the pond, I decided to fix this up and sail it across, for you. Perhaps, one day, I can buy you a gift and celebrate with you! I'm still working on Cessation for you, too!**_

* * *

Flashing through the corridors was pure lightening. No thunder followed, for the impending storm was much too far away. The kingdom below was victimized by the frightening whips of blinding light. A sound, any sound, would have been a bit more soothing. Sitting at the end of the kingdom, along the northern wall that surrounded it, was the darkened, extensive building of the kingdom's heir. It was a large, black silhouette; it was rather intimidating to the commoners, whose own homes barely reached the windows of the castle's first floor.

Inside, Uchiha Sasuke, second heir of the kingdom, was awoken from his sleep.

He could see the lightening from behind his eyelids. It leaked in from his tall windows and onto his person. As he sat up in slight annoyance, he briefly considered having his bed moved from in between the towering windows. Or rather, have the windows boarded up. Ultimately, he knew this excessive lightening wasn't good for him; he'd need all the sleep he could get on his last night home. That necessity was going to be harder to achieve.

Sasuke stretched his back, arching his torso forward with a soft whine. His arms bent at the elbows behind his head, and he couldn't control when his lips parted. A soundless yawn left him before he let his arms fall to his sides. The blankets had pooled around his waist, and he threw them from his person. His legs swung over to the edge of his bed and stood on the cold wood of the floor. The wood seemed to make the entirety of his bedroom cold, and he shivered as a wave of goosebumps engulfed him.

The floorboards creaked beneath him at every step. He moved carefully from his bedroom out of the consideration of others. Though he was sure no one could hear him over the distance of their individual bedrooms, he still refrained from unnecessary loudness. Cotton white pajamas adorned his body, flowing at every step. The articles of clothing seemed to match the tone of his skin; he appeared like a ghost, being at full illumination only when the lightening seeped in through the windows of the halls.

Belonging to him was the master bathroom of the West Wing's first floor. It sat at the very end of the hall where his bedroom was located. Along the walls, standing parallel to other doors, were paintings of extended family members. The Uchiha were the same in that they sat in ivory skin, wore obsidian tresses over their heads, and bore into the souls of others with bloodied eyes.

Despite having naked eyes that were rather keen in the darkness, Sasuke wished to obtain the ocular abilities that came with his lineage.

He was prodigious at birth, surpassing many of his tutors' students. He excelled in not only academics, but extracurricular activities. Sports were simple tasks for him, for he kept his body lean and agile. With his physical skills, it was equally easy to remain fit. In basic terms, he lived up to his family name in everything _besides_ the sharingan. He knew that with the sharingan's development, his abilities as an Uchiha would be heightened. Furthermore, he would execute his life-long goal of gaining his father's worthy acknowledgement.

As Sasuke passed the various paintings, his eyes scanned each of them. The colors of the oil paint were dark, but simultaneously bright enough to be seen by him. His feet halted in their movement when his eyes landed on a familiar face; staring down at him was none other than Uchiha Itachi, his elder brother and role model.

Because the painting was adjusted by a window, the sky's light gave him a glimpse at the details. His brother was young, being merely around the sensitive age of twelve or thirteen. Regardless of this fact, he was painted in the depiction of a ruler, a leader. He wore expensive, luxurious robes that popped deep shades of red and green. Those shades sided with the traditional colors of the Uchiha: black and white. His head was leaning forward from a hunch in his shoulders, and his face was solemn in its expression. The artist had caught every detail correctly, for everyone who's encountered him could say that he was wise beyond his years.

For many years, Sasuke was pushed into the shadow of his elder brother. Their father had consistently compared them in everything they did, much to Sasuke's chagrin, and deemed his youngest work hard to become like his eldest. Itachi had awakened the sharingan at the age of eight, though his talents were recognized earlier than that. Everything he did, _each breath he took_ , made the family proud. With every opportunity Sasuke took to locate a niche in the world, his brother was mentioned. No matter what he tried to do, Itachi's name and achievements came up. Even when the younger tried tantrums and misbehavior as a tactic to recognition, something he was sure his brother never did, their talk of Itachi made him feel worse about himself.

Sasuke scowled at the painting looking _down_ on him. " _Why do you have to be so high, so far away, big brother..?_ " he thought.

Though Itachi was much more accelerated than his little brother, the latter was aware of his elder's efforts to relieve him of marginalization. Truth be told, Itachi took on a paternal role for Sasuke more than their actual father did. When it came to things like fencing, archery, or horseback riding, Itachi made special time to assist Sasuke in perfecting his skill. Sasuke was a faster learner than his peers, but in juxtaposition to his brother, his abilities weren't perfect. He adored his brother, but he was always envious of him, deep down.

With the realisticness of the painting haunting his very core, Sasuke resumed in walking to the bathroom.

The aforementioned bathroom was cold, freezing the soles of Sasuke's feet with its icy tiles. Luckily, it had no windows. He was safe from the constant flashing in his face. He approached the toilet and relieved himself, then cleaned up afterwards. As the warm water soothed his hands, which were beginning to feel achy from the cold, he splashed some of it on his face. It was a bad idea considering it would keep him awake, but he needed to focus on his impending task. He wanted to outshine his brother, for the first time in his seventeen years of walking the Earth. He lifted his head from over the sink, and stared at himself in the mirror above. The tips of his nose and ears were red, and his eyebrows were tensing softly.

"Tch," he scoffed at his reflection before cutting off the running of tap water.

As he approached the door of the bathroom, he heard scuffling from the other end. His posture straightened, and he stiffened slightly. Their guarding system was much too advanced for it to be an intruder. He softly touched the knob, then threw the door open. It banged on the opposite wall, and his mother gasped with a jolt.

Count on her to be awake. "Sasuke!" she breathed with a shrill in her tone. He relaxed with a sharp exhale, and let his shoulders sag yet again. She was hugged around her upper body by a nightgown, it being just as pristine and flowy as his own nightwear. Her right arm was lifted to her bosom, the handle of a lantern being clutched in her fist. He wouldn't be surprised if she was investigating; she had very good hearing, and presumably caught the soft sounds of his short journey to the restroom.

"I'm sorry, did I disturb you? I thought you were an intruder." Figures.

Sasuke shook his head and weakly waved his hand in dismissal. It dropped as quickly as it was raised, and he looked up from his feet and at her face. The red of her eyes glowed stronger than the oily orange of the lantern in between them, and he inhaled sharply. Seeing anyone with the sharingan was rather painful, for it reminded him of his lack of thereof. As any mother would, she noticed the subtle changes in her child's expression. His eyebrows upturned just slightly, adding a pinch of hurt to the otherwise typical frown that he wore.

Her palm on his cheek was warm, and tender. The grazing of her fingers along the skin were gentle, almost hesitant. His true fragility had been exposed to her since the day he spawned from her womb. This he knew, and he kept his eyes averted from meeting hers. It was a defense mechanism; under her gaze, sharingan activated or not, he always tried to salvage at least _some_ of the walls he'd built up over his lifetime.

"You don't have to go, you know," she assured, her tone as soft as her caresses. His eyes betrayed him, and slowly rolled upwards to meet her loving gaze. She had deactivated her sharingan, and replaced it with a smile.

He sighed heavily. His hand reached up and wrapped itself around hers, then nicely pulled it from his cheek. She knew as much as he of how much danger he'd be in. He was risking his life for his pride, and confidence. Though she supported the actions that those took to appreciate themselves, she knew, as his mother, that it wasn't truly for _him_. He squeezed her hand affectionately.

"I do. And don't worry. I'll be back," he uttered with a determined look in his eyes. Her smile morphed into a sad one as he spoke, and it was her turn to look away. He took two steps through the bathroom's entryway, thus exiting. He continued to hold her hand as he guided it to her side, then let it go to peck her cheek.

"I promise."

The whispered vow melted into the night's air, and she turned from the bathroom to watch him return to his room. She dropped her smile, and released a breath that she hadn't known she was holding until then. His door clicked closed, sending an echo throughout the halls, and the lightening was accompanied by soft rumbles of thunder.

* * *

Sunlight brightened the aspects of the extensive kingdom. Most noticeably was the shiny armor of the king's youngest son.

A grand mare trotted obediently through the streets, her polished hooves stomping with grace. Her hair was a platinum blonde in the sun's glare, and she shone with her master. On either side of her saddle were travelling bags. One was filled with water, bread, cheese, fruit, and salted meat to cook. The other was filled with equipment for health-aid, such as bandage wrappings and vials of medicine. Sitting atop the saddle on her back was Sasuke, his hands low as he held the reins of her halter. Strapped behind his back was a shield, bow, and arrow, and around his waist was a sheathed sword. The streets had been cleared for safety reasons; several guards surrounded him, in an orderly fashion, for extra precautions. Still, the nobles, commoners, and slaves alike admired him from within their homes. Namely, the children gazed as he passed by.

Despite noticing the clear looks of those who admired him, Sasuke didn't feel too proud about leaving. As he made his way through the kingdom, and to its gates, he thought back on his parting with his father:

" _What do you mean you're still going?!" his father had roared at him from across the dining table._

 _The two males sat at either end of the table, dining on their breakfast. His mother chose to sit by her husband, faithfully, as she'd been raised to do. However, she still wore an expression of sympathy towards him. It was hidden by a hang of her head, and she calmly rose her spoonful of porridge to her mouth. His father had slammed his glass of wine down on the tabletop when Sasuke mentioned his upcoming whereabouts._

" _I am absolutely certain that I can rescue this princess, and bring her back to wed her," he replied calmly to the patriarch of his family, the man he all feared, admired, and yearned to be noticed by._

 _The king had released his hold around his wine glass with a begrudging calmness. Seconds before, a servant had come in the dining room to bring them each a silver platter of chopped fruits and grain muffins. Sasuke was aware of his father's desire to remain as level-headed as possible when in the presence of his subjects. It was a rather good strategy, for it kept the people reassured at all times, this including those of panic. It kept a small amount of pressure from his shoulders._

" _Sasuke," he started steadily, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as he did. Sasuke listened with a stoicness that challenged that of his father's, sitting before his untouched breakfast._

" _I will acknowledge that I am growing older by the minute. You are the only link that will hold this kingdom, and our family's legacy, together, following my passing. You do understand that, right?"_

 _His eyes had re-opened then, for the servant had exited the room. They held a look of fury, and authority. Normally, this would have been enough to silence Sasuke from any further argument. One look was enough to oppress the raven's ambitions. Knowing this to be very true, his mother now held a look of apprehension as she watched her husband speak._

" _...Yes." Sasuke simply said, his tone void of any emotion that might signify submission._

 _His father picked up on this quickly; he was used to subduing his children when it was necessary, and even the slightest signs of a rebellion were crystal clear to him. Unbeknownst to his youngest son upon him, he began to grow nervous alongside his wife. The nervousness held different reasoning behind it, though._

 _With the goal of getting his son to reconsider, the king spoke with a coldness that prickled Sasuke's chest._

" _I don't believe you are ready to go out on such a quest. You will not survive. And when you finally die, I will refuse to bury whatever's left of your remains."_

Sasuke saw it out as an indirect disownership more than anything else. He couldn't reason with himself much, or see it any other way. In spite of the growing icicles that pierced through his heart, the words repeated in his head as a mantra of motivation. Now, in addition to recognition of his abilities, he craved for everyone to know of his superiority. Not only to his brother, but also to his father, himself.

It wasn't long before the gates of the kingdom were in view. The two guards standing before Sasuke and his mare had approached the metal bars, which were held together by high, sturdy stone walls. Briefly looking up in anticipation for what laid ahead, the young prince could spot out the tall tales of green leaves. They seemed rather dense, and the amounts of trees appeared ready to cloud the blue skies from view. Droplets from the night's storm glistened from the one star above them.

Upon reaching his moment of exiting, six of the eight guards that had accompanied him left their posts on either side of the horse. They split into threes, and aligned themselves neatly along the stone walls. The gate was opened by the initial two who first left their posts. Said two guards separated, joining the sides of the gate. Sasuke gently pulled the reins, and his horse stopped in her path.

In synch, the guards all dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. Their departing words were shouted as one voice. "We wish you luck on your trip, your highness!"

Sasuke scrutinized each of them as they remained in their crouched positions, awaiting a reply. It wasn't genuine; at least, he didn't see it as one. Still, he wasn't sure if anyone believed in his ability to return alive, up until this moment. He nodded curtly and uttered his grace loud enough for them to hear. Once they did, they all jolted upright. He lightly kicked his heel back against his mare, and she started up moving with a grunt.

As he exited his kingdom, the place of his birth and raising, he ignored the sounds of the gates locking closed behind him. He'd never left the walls of his palace like this. The only time he could remember leaving the kingdom was to visit his mother's family, who stayed in another kingdom. The latter was only three days away, and he was protected by the forces of a carriage, and fifty overbearing guards. Now, in this moment, he was left to his lonesome with his mare. She didn't say much to fill the silence. Her presence was enough to soothe some of his unwanted fears, though.

They walked along a dirt path that was made for travel. As Sasuke had predicted earlier, outside of the kingdom walls was pure forest. The trees stood tall, wide, and old. A head of lush, green leaves kept the sky obscured from view. Open patches between the trees let sunlight leak in, and served as the only indication for the time of day. Bushes and shrubs created hedges around trees, and filled in the spaces between them. Chirping overhead were various birds, and scurrying about were hungry rodents. He was reminded of his childhood picture-books, and any reasons for terror were left behind.

He continued to travel until the dirt path detoured. Reining his mare to take a break, he hopped off of her and opened a pack on the right side of her saddle. After briefly fishing through the wrapped food and a flask of water, he retrieved the map that his advisors made. According to it, he wasn't far from his first destination: a flowing river. Once he came upon the crisp water of "Crystal," the name of the river, he would be able to easily maneuver his way to the dragon's dungeon.

Being held hostage within the dungeon was Sakura, the famous cherry blossom princess. She was known as one of the world's most beautiful princesses, and she was widely respected beyond those of her kingdom. Sasuke had never cared to meet her, or listen through one of the many stories of her accomplishments. The idea of marriage never attracted him, and he was much too focused on creating some of his own accomplishments. However, a week ago, it was reported that she had been kidnapped on one of her hunting trips with her father. The news spread after twenty-four hours, and it wasn't long before she had sent a dove to notify her parents of her whereabouts.

When Sasuke caught wind of her location, and the terrible journey that it would take to return her home safely, his mind brewed with a plan. None of her suitors were brave enough to step forward with an offer, and so he took it upon himself to do so. He still wasn't fond of having to marry her, considering she sounded like a shrew from her many stories. However, he didn't let that deter him from his original plan. He would cross that bridge when he got there.

It was after a few minutes of scanning the map that he realized the lack of light. He looked up towards what he could see of the sky, and took note of the colorful tint having replaced the blue one. Dawn had morphed into an array of pinks, purples, and orange-reds. From what he heard by knights, and the many legends told by Itachi as a kid, he knew it wasn't safe to travel at night. He also kept in mind that he hadn't brought a lantern, so any thoughts of continuing, regardless, were shot down before further evolution.

He didn't want to think about the possibilities of having his sharingan.

Careful of the ink, Sasuke folded the map into four sections. He placed it back in its respective pack, then detached both packs from the saddles of his mare. Because she had traveled so much, he tugged downwards on her reins, and deemed it necessary that she turn in for the evening. She seemed grateful, for she lied down carefully. He placed the bags by her blonde tail, then combed the mane along her neck with his fingers.

"Good girl," he mumbled with praise. She responded with a soft grunt, and he sat down propped against her. She was the only female he could tolerate for extended periods of time, besides his mother. He remembered when he was seven, and Itachi had finally found some time to help him perfect his skills in horseback riding. She was just a pony at the time, and the only ample horse that he could use for training. He had blushed profoundly, and vehemently refused until Itachi rode her shamelessly around the kingdom streets. Having taken up much of the embarrassment for his little brother, he got Sasuke to begrudgingly slide on top of her. They spent the morning walking safely behind the palace walls, on their individual horses.

He could still see Itachi's back as the elder rode atop his tall stallion.

"Tsk," Sasuke sucked his teeth with distaste, and his mare made a small noise. He had to pet her some more to assure her that the sound wasn't aimed for her. He then pulled out his flask of water, and opened it. After pouring some cold water in his hand, he quickly put the flask down and cupped both palms to keep the water from dripping. He held it beneath her mouth, and she accepted it.

He hadn't felt tired until the surrounding forest was still, and the songs of birds had transpired to the music of crickets. The sky was a deep shade of bruised blue, and the only lights that seeped in past the trees' leaves were from the moon. His horse was asleep, and he shifted himself so that he laid on the grass. His back was to her side, almost in a protective manner, and his head was cushioned by his hands. He curled up as far as he could without his armor getting in the way. This wasn't much of a curl, but rather an awkward bend of his torso. Luckily, the night wasn't too cold.

His last thoughts before drifting to a light sleep was of his father's hurtful words.

" _I don't believe you are ready to go out on such a quest. You will not survive. And when you finally die, I will refuse to bury whatever's left of your remains."_

It was still a slap to the face, and his heart still burned from the ice. Furthermore, his desire to rescue Sakura and bring her home in one piece had intensified. With a yawn that brought small tears to his eyes, he rested in his resolution.

* * *

 _ **Our beloved Naruto will make his rather obnoxious appearance in the next chapter! I will be updating every day until this story is finished. Jo, your birthday is in less than a week, though there will probably be more chapters after your birthday. Consider it your early Christmas/anniversary gift! :D**_

 _ **Happy Birthday to Sasuke, as well.**_


	2. Chapter 2

As far as Sasuke's head went, dreams weren't reachable in his current state.

Subconsciously, he held an irrevocable fear of being attacked during his slumber. Though he tried not to doubt his skills as a fighter, his ultimate conclusion on the matter was majorly shaped around others. And by others, he meant his father and his brother. Because of this, his brain directed that his body remained tense throughout the night. In exchange, he would not dream a makeup world that allowed indulgence from reality. Or even, he wouldn't let the painful aspects of reality disturb him. His discipline had worked in his favor.

When he woke up, he was very much relieved to find his mare alive. She presumably arose from her sleep first, for Sasuke found her upright and beside him. He sat up with stiffness, for his armor had done him no justice. It felt heavy on his bones in the grogginess of the morning, and he struggled to stretch. A small whimper sounded from the back of his throat as he arched his back off the grass. The former gave a soft crack, and he kept stagnant in a sitting position for adjustment purposes.

"Ohayo," he greeted his mare when she looked down at him, extending her neck to nuzzle her snout against his head. He pet the hair above her nose, then loosened the halter strips around her mouth. He knew he didn't have enough water in his flask for both of them. At the same time, Crystal river was known for its high quality of water. Allegedly, it felt like the Lord's tears running down your throat. He quickly concurred that they begin their travel there; he internally promised her a good drink upon their arrival.

In the meantime, he considered holding her off with an apple. Slowly, Sasuke took a step on the ground and propped himself up on his arms. He then lifted himself from the ground, standing upright beside her. After another stretch, this one being more effective for his midsection, he leaned down to pick up the pack of food. Before he left, the kitchen workers had reported that his mother packed the bag herself. The thought made him feel better about it all.

From its size, he was able to identify an apple. It was stripped of its wrappings, and placed on the floor before his horse. He didn't wait to see if she'd eat; loud crunching noises sounded almost immediately after he turned back towards the bag. He unwrapped a baguette for himself, which was still warm to the touch. Deeming it unnecessary to eat anything else, he settled with half of the bread for breakfast.

The crunching of his mare was the loudest thing, considering it was the closest to him. Accompanying it was the newfound songs of birds. It sounded different this morning, but Sasuke hadn't been paying enough attention to pinpoint the difference with precision. He shrugged it off as he chewed, bringing his hand up to rid his lips of any crumbs. Telling from the brightness of the morning, he hadn't slept very long. The sun wasn't very high in the sky. Despite this, its light still glowed off of the leaves. It was a beautiful scenery.

Breakfast was fairly short. The Uchiha prince chose to walk on his own feet, for he didn't want to weigh his horse down. She had enough with carrying the travelling packs. He would ride her after she had a satisfactory drink. Also, he would be able to work out the clenched muscles of his arms and legs. Circulation was most important for this trip, he figured, for he sought it best to work his body out as much as possible. He wanted to be ready for any impending mortal combat. Becoming accustomed to his mare's presence wouldn't serve as good preparatory work.

Sasuke listened as the forest dwellers moved about their business. He kept hold on his horse by gently grasping her reins, guiding her to walk by him. She was obedient enough to comply without trouble, though trouble was his biggest reason for his guiding of her. Even the _slightest_ noise of suspicion caused him to clutch his sword's handle with his idle hand. From the sidelines, his horse observed his rigid behavior with carelessness. She sensed no danger ahead. Her master caught this, and soon enough relaxed.

Their surroundings had brightened, signifying the transition from morning to afternoon, as they traveled. The sun was at its highest peak in the sky, and the birds had settled down. Running water graced Sasuke's eardrums, and he gave the reins a brief squeeze of anticipation. He was starting to feel even closer to his destination. However, he didn't let it swell his head, yet. It was childish to get too excited, for danger was lurking in every corner. He couldn't celebrate, yet.

Flicking her ears, his mare heard the water. In oppose to him, she grunted and shook her head eagerly. He felt slight guilt, for he was sure that she was thirsty. Still, being trained by Uchiha, she was able to hold her ground and calm her nerves.

Within moments of hearing water, a blinding sparkle hit Sasuke's line of vision. He had to squint, then eventually close his eyes altogether. The color behind his lids was red, and he brought his hand up to shield himself. The burn simmered down to a dull ache, and he hesitantly lowered his hand. One by one, his eyes cracked open. What he saw was probably the most beautiful scenery: Crystal shimmered, each ripple of the river's flow providing a glimmer. It surpassed anything he'd seen in a painting. He believed that no artist, no matter how talented, could capture such an image. Just staring at it made him thirsty.

Its surrounding space was an expansion of grass, and large rocks. Said rocks huddled together in pairs on either side of the river, and seemed to protect the flowing beauty. No trees stood around it, leaving it in a blind spot for the sun. Light shined down on it in its entirety, making it appear to be all the more alluring. From where he was standing, he could see the clear, cleanliness of the water.

He and his horse needed no further persuasion to approach Crystal. He brought her to an open space between two rocks. Without further ado, she leaned her head down and began to drink the water. Her tail whipped softly behind her, and Sasuke could tell that she was won over. Before drinking, he was briefly mesmerized by what lay beneath. The floor of the river was littered with pebbles that glinted with marvelous shades. Fish, tadpoles, dwarf frogs, and water bugs swam peacefully. They remained unbothered by his mare's drinking, coexisting in peace.

The sight of it made him wonder if animals were truly inferior to those like him. If _they_ had enough sense to live amongst each other, without trouble, why couldn't the "superiors?"

Sasuke lightly shook the thought from his head, for he didn't want to start up an existential crisis for himself. He already grappled in finding a place for himself, in the world. Instead, he got down on one knee and scooped up a palmful of water. It glittered in his hand, and he eagerly brought it to his lips. Droplets slid down his chin, and he gulped it down with a sigh of contentment. It was definitely delicious. He allowed himself a few more drinks before standing upright.

Now that he reached the first stop, he knew he was getting closer to the dragon's dungeon. His mare continued to drink, much to both of their fulfillment, and he located the map from its pack. He was delicate in the way he unfolded it, and spread it out on his armored thigh. His leg fell back down once the map was extended completely. He scanned it; according to its given information, he was expected to reach "Amphibia," which would serve as the next stop closer to Sakura. To pass the time as his horse drank to her heart's content, he busied himself with trying to remember the path there. North, it seemed. He would be moving straight ahead.

Considering he was entirely absorbed in the contents of the map, he didn't hear the thuds of heavy feet stomping hastily behind him.

A young man, undoubtedly within the same age range as Sasuke himself, was running from out of the forest. In his hands was a map, and his deep blue eyes were fully in tune with what it read. His body was clad in armor, though it was dirtied with mud in certain areas. The areas left untouched had shined greatly when under the open spot of light. Around his head was an obnoxiously orange cloth, which held a symbol and protected his forehead. A matching orange cape draped his back, whipping in the wind as he ran. His hips held a sheathed sword, which also bounced with each step. He hadn't noticed anyone until it was too late.

"Move!" He screeched, though the raven was unable to do so.

The two males collided with a horrible force. Sasuke grunted loudly as he was knocked down, his arms having flailed forward in a futile attempt to catch himself. He hit the ground audibly, and the metal that protected him had rattled his body. His heart ran in his chest, vibrating his ribs and pumping blood to the rest of his person with vigor. When he heard a groan of pain behind him, he quickly rolled from his stomach and sat up.

With his sword unsheathed and aimed at the enemy, Sasuke's eyebrows knitted together in a threat of immediate death. "Who the hell are you?!" he shouted.

His offender didn't seem to notice his offensive stance, which only proved as an insult to him. Did this guy really not believe that his life was in danger? No matter what the answer was, the blond-haired boy focused solely on his injury. From the hard shield hanging from Sasuke's back, he sported a large redness around the upper area of his face. As a result of the collision, a tint of purple around the edges meant a bruise was budding.

He took a moment to soothe it by caressing it, his gloved hand moving tentatively over it. He hissed quietly, and left it be when it proved too fresh to be touched. After letting his hand drop, he finally noticed the sword being pointed at him. He flinched his hands up, a sure sign of surrender, and chuckled nervously.

"H-Hey, watch where you aim that thing! I'm not gonna hurt you!" he explained quickly, nodding his own head at Sasuke to prove his point. He offered a smile, his lips quivering as he did. Sasuke wasn't amused, and he kept his glare and weapon in place as he stared down at the blond.

"...What's your name?" the Uchiha asked, in which the other male stammered. He seemed uncertain of the answer, and Sasuke figured it wouldn't be worth it to take his life. He was pretty helpless if he was clumsy, and couldn't remember his own name.

"E-Eheheh, Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto!" he replied. Sasuke slowly lowered his sword, and relaxed his features. Naruto emitted a few more groans as he struggled to stand, and stretch out the aches in his body. The cracks didn't sound too lovely. He dropped the nervous smile, and settled for grumbling as he noticed his armor was covered in mud. He then looked around him searchingly. Sasuke watched as Naruto's eyes, which were a deeper shade of blue than Crystal's waters, landed on a map.

He picked it up, and caused Sasuke to remember that he didn't have his _own_ map. With a small noise of shock, he whipped his head around in search. His peripheral vision gave him a glimpse of the beige-colored paper, and he turned towards the river. There, floating with the small tides, was his map.

"Shit!" he cursed as he sheathed his sword. He ran towards the river, and scared the creatures within the water when his hand dunked for the map. To say the least, it was soiled. The ink had been ruined, for the paper had absorbed the water quicker than he could save it. His mare was concerned, and she neighed quietly as she watched her master bubble over with fury.

Slowly, in menace, Sasuke turned to Naruto. The aforementioned male was rubbing his head with one hand, the other holding his own map. Naruto felt Sasuke's stare, and he looked up with a frown of confusion. Naturally, with the look of menace in the Uchiha's eyes, he stiffened with a gulp.

"You blockhead, look what you've done! You destroyed my map!" he exclaimed, holding up the ruined map for emphasis. It ripped apart from the force of his hold, and the whiskered boy gasped in shock. He clutched the unmarred map in his fist, and scowled.

"What?! Don't blame me, I told you to move!" Naruto argued, taking a few steps towards Sasuke. The raven felt threatened, and he challenged it with moving forward. The two stood their ground, both eyeing each other with looks of hostility. An electric shock from their fiery orbs, one aimed at the other, wouldn't have been enough to depict the birth of hatred between them. Sasuke's mare neighed again with more volume, knocking them out of their feud.

Thoroughly pissed off, Sasuke threw his devastated map on the ground. He slid atop his horse and gripped to her reins. A nudge to her side got her moving, and he haughtily turned her in the opposite direction from the other male. Naruto humphed, crossing his arms. His lower lip jutted out as he pouted, watching the raven's back as he left. He let him go, until he noticed the full traveling bags hanging from the horse's saddle. His expression softened, and he glanced down at his map before back up at Sasuke.

"H-Hey, Sakura's that way!" he called.

Sasuke pulled on the reins, halting his horse. She grunted with disapproval at such a sudden change in his mind. " _How did he…?"_

He finished his thought verbally after turning his mare to the side, facing Naruto with obvious shock. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and sported a hesitant grin. After giving a giggle that did not move Sasuke's stoicism, he replied.

"I didn't. Now, I do. And I have a map," He paused, his grin becoming that of a friendly one. Then, lifting the map in the air, he proposed an offer that Sasuke wouldn't have imagined. "Let's travel together."

"No, thanks." the raven answered with distaste, prepared to resume in walking away. Naruto was persistent though, and he continued his proposal quicker than the other could make his escape.

"I-I have no supplies, since my horse ran off on me. That's why I was running in the first place. B-But you do! You have no map, but I do. It'll only be until we reach Sakura, and then we can split ways and save her individually. Deal?"

Sasuke's first thought was to decline, and tell Naruto to fetch his own supplies. That sounded like a personal problem in itself. Besides, by the looks of it, it was no surprise that someone like him would drive his own _horse_ away. It wouldn't make a good story for his father that he saved Sakura with _help_ , either. However, he knew that he wouldn't be able to navigate his way to the princess anyway, for he had no map.

It was a truly frustrating situation. He quickly thought about every circumstance here, until he came up with a stealthy plan: he would play along and feed the blond for the day. By nightfall, when they slept, he would steal Naruto's map and run off with it. Sasuke figured it wouldn't be so hard to do, since his soon-to-be "companion" seemed duller than a doorknob. Excellent.

With a sigh of defeat, Sasuke gave a curt nod. "Fine."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Yes, Naruto's here! Now the fun can begin! How'd you like this chapter? Let me know in the reviews! Next chapter will be up soon. Hope you're enjoying this, Jordan, it's all for you! ;)**_


	3. Chapter 3

Being visibly old, the tavern was chipping at the edges. One had to watch their step, for wood jutted out from the floor. It was sharp, and hazardous. There was no telling that to an owner or maintenance man, though—the obviously needed repairs were not made, regardless of any customer injuries. Aforementioned customers didn't seem bothered, anyway. It was a full house.

A loud belch rang through the place, originating from the blond boy sitting at the bar.

Naruto raised his hand to his mouth, wiping it free of any miso soup. He then shot a broad grin at the server behind the bar. "Another round, over here!" he shouted with a wave of his hand.

Sasuke, begrudgingly sitting beside him, furrowed his eyebrows with distaste. The other male had dragged him to the tavern for a "break." Sasuke only agreed for the sake of his food supply remaining stable. It seemed that he made a good decision, for Naruto definitely had an appetite on him. He was already on his third bowl of ramen, while Sasuke was _still_ waiting for his tomato soup. As he waited, he nursed a cup of wine. From his royal palette, he could tell it was severely watered down. Either that, or it was just cheap.

Assuming that Naruto was drowning himself in alcohol, other patrons of the tavern had raised their wooden cups of beer with a war cry. Sasuke ignored it the best he could, for he never took a liking to unnecessarily loud things. And yes, the people around him could identify as _things_. They looked to be straight from an old legend; cyclopes, dwarfs, witches, and other wicked creatures seemed present for happy hour. Sasuke felt out of place, and rather unsafe.

Naruto didn't care much, for his only focus was on ramen. Fortunately for him, the server had arrived with his fourth bowl. She was literally a porky woman; through the poor lighting of the run-down establishment, Sasuke could see her skin was a deep shade of pink. Too dark to be a human's. Furthermore, her eyes were beady and hooded from the excess fat on her face. Most noticeably on her face was her snout, the latter resembling that of a pig's. The rest of her body was just as fat and unkempt as her face, and her yellow locks were evidently false. On her left breast was a name tag, which read "Penelope." What a lovely way to call someone so…grotesque.

Penelope placed a new bowl of ramen before Naruto with a smile. Whatever was left of her teeth was crooked, and rotten. "There you go, sugar," she said, her voice holding a nasal quality to it. "On the house."

Naruto beamed, his eyes shimmering in the darkness of the room. "Ah! Keep 'em coming, Penny!" he screeched happily, causing another cheer from those around them.

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and raised a fine eyebrow. He watched as Naruto picked up his given fork—which didn't look too clean—and began slurping up the steaming noodles. The soup looked prettier than its server, might he say. Still, he didn't trust it. Penelope had brought the ramen from a swinging door behind the bar, which presumably led to a kitchen in the back. Since he couldn't see the food being cooked, he couldn't prove that Naruto's food wasn't tampered with. In his own castle, the chef always ate his cooking before serving it. He felt uneasy without the reassurance.

Not that he cared if Naruto had a death wish. What he needed was the map, and the only way to get that was to keep Naruto alive until later that night. It seemed easier to kill the other, but it wasn't in his nature. Similarly, he didn't hope for death on even his greatest enemy. Leaning over slightly, Sasuke spoke quietly against Naruto's ear. "Be careful with what you put in your mouth so easily, dumbass."

The blue-eyed boy had been busy eating when Sasuke's warm breath fanned his earlobe. He blinked a few times, digesting what was just said to him, then snorted. "Don't be such a stick in the mud, ya bastard." he replied after swallowing a mouthful.

He should've known better than to try and warn such a numb nut. This was mostly true for the sake of his own sanity, considering everything that came out of Naruto's mouth was to spite Sasuke's nerves. He quickly decided that he'd like to live long. Being pestered wasn't going to aid in that wish. After taking a moment to breathe, he mentally prepared a reply. However, he was cut off by a loud slam. He jolted, and his hand swung to his sword's handle. Before he could unleash it, he noticed a bowl being presented to him on the bar's countertop.

Penelope held a rather dirtied bowl, which held a chip in its edge, with her fat fingers. Her thumb was plunged in what was supposed to be his tomato soup. It appeared to be more like a red-colored water than anything else. That could easily be seen by anyone, regardless of the dim lighting surrounding them. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the meal being so rudely offered to him, then slowly rolled his eyes up at the poor excuse for a woman.

She challenged his menacing look with a condescending one. A smile was shot his way; though it was the same spoiled, scarce teeth that Naruto got, it seemed even uglier than moments before. The Uchiha remained steady in his threatening expression despite hers being just as unmoving. He only looked away when he saw movement from the below his eyes. While continuously staring at him, she slowly moved her thumb from out of his soup. The soup was replaced with her mouth, and she sucked her thumb with lengthy rolls of her tongue. Sasuke had traced her hand's movement with his eyes, and gradually inclined his head back in repulsion.

When she was finally satisfied with her riddance of the soup on her thumb, she released the latter with a moist ' _pop_.' Her expression had shifted, and Sasuke could tell that it was an attempt to be flirtatious. Being upset with his ruined meal—though it hadn't amounted to anything initially—he decided against subtle rejection. Specifically, his upper lip curled back to display his purified disgust in her. She didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't care.

"Enjoy," she murmured scratchily, her masculine voice sending shivers down Sasuke's spine. He was thoroughly through with trying to save any lasting pieces of his appetite.

Naruto had inhaled the last of his ramen when he took note of Sasuke's displeasure in service. This brought him to his conclusion on the next course of action to take. Of course, he didn't truly want to travel anywhere with the taller male beside him. Not only would he get in his way, but he was also too much of an arrogant bastard. All in all, he didn't rub Naruto the right way. The only appealing thing about him was his supply number, and mode of transportation. So, putting his opinions on Sasuke aside, he knew he had to get his trust before being able to easily snatch his advances from him.

After quick thinking, he flailed his hand in the air to get Penelope's attention. "Hey, I'd like some tomato soup, too!" he requested rather loudly. Sasuke had scowled from the yelling in his ear. What was that idiot thinking? The Uchiha wasn't shocked when his pseudo-companion was given a bowl of steaming tomato soup, within minutes of waiting. Being thick in consistency and served in a glistening, glass bowl, Sasuke was definitely pissed off. Naruto scooped up the spoon from the bar's counter after receiving it. However, he didn't get straight to drowning himself in it.

Sasuke took this moment to observe Naruto with suspicion. He desired to know what was going on in that head of full, seemingly soft, blond locks. Most likely nothing but food, considering his stomach's carrying capacity was equivalent to that of a black hole. However, he was shocked to see Naruto put the spoon down immediately after Penelope turned her back to him. In an action that was almost too quick for him to see, Naruto switched their bowls. Thus, presented to him was a fresh bowl of warm, appetizing tomato soup.

If he wasn't under the impression of a bad omen before, he certainly was, now.

"What're you–?" he started, but Naruto beat him to the punch as he once again picked up his spoon.

"Just shut up and eat," the blond male said tersely, his expression being a conveyance of annoyance. Though after a second or two, the muscles of his face relaxed into a rather friendly smile. It was welcoming, and held an underlying meaning that Sasuke couldn't quite decipher. The wink that followed only further confused him, and he was moved to a soft jump when Naruto started messily slurping up what was Sasuke's red water.

His eyes lingered for a few more uncomfortable seconds, like the answer would be presented to him if he did. What was he trying to achieve? They'd just met, and he was already going out of his way to please Sasuke. It was purely finecky in its entirety, and rather stupid. Sasuke got no answer ultimately, as his voice of reason had told him, and he shrugged the entire incident off as he turned to his soup. Naruto was still not to be trusted, and he would stick to the plan once the time was right.

* * *

Sasuke's mare had been left outside, for despite the numerous amounts of strange creatures being served, there were no horses allowed. It was rather backwards, in Sasuke's opinion, for that pig lady deserved to be put outside. How anyone could eat with her in their face was beyond him. He was grateful that Naruto's supposed charisma had gotten them off the hook from paying. He, personally, would've never even thought to give a slab of his gold to someone like _that_. His mare wasn't too troubled when they returned to her, and she had remained stagnant throughout their time inside. She was rewarded with another apple, much to her gratification. Naruto watched as Sasuke pet her, and she nudged his head gently with her snout. Her obvious obedience was the sole reason why he hadn't run off with her, yet.

"So," he started as he pulled the map from out of his armored bosom. He had rolled it up, giving it curvy edges. It had to be held from both ends to prevent it from wrapping into itself. Deep blues scanned the neatly written words beside each location on the map. Unlike his partner, Naruto had been exposed to the surrounding areas. He knew where the tavern was in respect to "Amphibia," their next location. So, with a tilt of his head, he quickly determined which directions needed to be taken. "Seems like we have to head West to get back on the main road."

The lack of trust he held within Naruto had Sasuke laced with doubt. He furrowed his eyebrows with a downturn of his mouth. Approaching Naruto, he snatched the map and looked over it. With no surprise to Sasuke, the blond was incorrect. This fact was expressed through a scoff from Sasuke. "You idiot. We're supposed to go _East._ West is that way," he explained derisively, pointing to his left.

Naruto didn't seem to put out by his mistake. Instead, he appeared to be rather sheepish; he grinned in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck. He covered his disappointment at an opportunity to get Sasuke lost. "Ahah. I had a compass, b-but Nessie ran off with it," he replied, cautiously taking the map back.

Sasuke frowned as he released the map, allowing it to be confiscated, for now. The aforementioned frown was out of confusion rather than the previous disdain. "'Nessie?'" he questioned as he slid onto his horse's saddle. He didn't wait for Naruto's response as he gently nudged, and provoked her to start moving. Naruto seemed a bit startled at the sudden action, and he jogged momentarily to walk by the mare's side. His hopping jog ceased once he started to walk in sync with her.

"Yeah, my horse! He was a pain in the ass, always knocking me off of him. He seemed fine until we got out on the road. Ran off with all my stuff," he clarified, though mostly to himself. It didn't take long for him to notice the straightness of Sasuke's clean-cut features. He was facing forward, his back rigid as he rode his horse with an evident grace. A king, was what he looked like. The rigidness of being such a leader would explain him being such a tightwad, simultaneously. Naruto scowled up at Sasuke, then rolled his eyes to look away.

Up above, the sun had shifted from its previously high point in the sky. Light shined with a darker glow than earlier, and the animals of the forest had shifted. Evening was approaching, and rather fast. Sasuke kept his eyes on his surroundings as the other male spoke. Since he was up on his horse, he would be able to see over the dense vegetation, and farther ahead. His sharp vision aided in that ability. During that time, he wasn't truly listening to Naruto; he knew he was talking, but he wasn't processing the words in their actuality. When the background noise of his voice had stopped, he knew in his mind that he had to reply.

"It's getting late. We can't travel at night, since we'll be putting ourselves at risk," he said, further upsetting Naruto. He didn't even _try_ to mask his indifference!

Nonetheless, he was right, and Naruto plopped down on his behind. It was a regretted decision when the firm metal of his armor proved to be a horrid seat. He grunted as a dull pain ran up his spine. Sasuke halted his mare with a softness, and she huffed. The two looked down at the blond, who seemed persistent on resting where he sat. Either that, or he couldn't move from there. The latter idea was secretly true. Although Sasuke wasn't too big on the idea of being within range of the tavern, for they were vulnerable to the malicious-looking patrons, he didn't mind the thought of Naruto being asleep.

Begrudgingly, he moved from his horse's back. With daylight going by at every second, he knew he had to be selective with his actions. The faster he got the other snoring, the better. Having this motto in his mind, Sasuke took to sitting across from Naruto. To better his act, he tugged on his mare's reins. Luckily for him, she complied in folding into herself on the ground; she could easily sleep upright, but she it seemed like she was in on her master's scheme. Said master stared at Naruto blankly, almost waiting for the other to knock out.

However, Naruto wasn't as stupid as he naturally seemed. He sensed something up Sasuke's sleeve. Or, er, armor. Whatever.

As the early evening had rested, allowing dusk to take over, the two teenagers had been watching one another. Both were stealthy in thought, but exposing in distrust. Conversation wasn't available, for they saw words as weapons. At this point, with one holding a necessity for the other, the tension had become nearly overbearing. The only noises were from Sasuke's mare, who had felt nervous from the atmosphere of those upon her. Her attempts to end the stress were futile, and she eventually decided to place her trust in her master. She had fallen asleep when the sky turned dark, and crickets resumed where she'd left off.

By that time, Naruto had decided to relieve them of the anticipating silence.

"Hungry? Let's eat," he offered, nodding his head towards the bags on the saddle. For the first time since their meeting, Sasuke automatically agreed. Plans were still in motion, though. The holder of the map kept it rolled in the armor of his bosom as he collected wood, and dried leaves for a fire. Likewise, the supplier stayed close to his horse's side as he unpacked meat, bread, and cheese.

A fire had been made, and Sasuke had impaled a few slices of salted meat with sticks. The sticks were dug into the ground, deep enough to remain stable, and were tilted towards the fire. Bread was an appetizer as the meat roasted; Naruto partook in the consumption of the last half of Sasuke's breakfast baguette. There were plenty more wrapped baguettes in the traveling bag, along with what seemed to be buns and individual slices. Naruto observed this with an internal screech of excitement.

When the meat finished, Sasuke served two sticks for the each of them. He also gave Naruto a few slices of cheese, an apple, and another half to a fresh baguette. Naruto was first reluctant to accept the extra food, given that Sasuke wasn't eating as much. The look of hesitance was evident.

"Relax, you idiot. I don't want you to be so hungry, tomorrow morning. We need to save as much as we can," the raven calmly explained. Calmness was just a mask, for his heart skipped a beat in a brief fit of worry. His statements were lies, for he didn't truly plan on being with Naruto in the morning. In reality, he was attempting to overstuff him. From experience, eating in grand amounts proved to be a cause for sudden exhaustion. He never understood it as a child, believing his food to have been spiked. Itachi had dubbed it as "the Itis," and Sasuke would use it to his advantage.

Naruto wasn't oblivious to what the other male was getting at. He would resist it. He would also see to it that he had extra energy to travel through the night. " _Heheh, poor bastard! He won't even know what hit 'im!"_ he thought with mischief, nearly snickering out loud.

Dinner was just as silent as before, following their brief conversation. Wood crackled as the small fire gradually destroyed it, and an owl called from the distance. The night air was cooler than the previous night, and Sasuke sensed that it wouldn't be as easy to sleep. Though warmth was a desire, the somewhat nippy breeze could be useful towards his personal plan. If he found himself getting too tired, he would unwind himself from his fetal position.

Once he was finished eating—that being around the same time as Naruto, for the blond had swallowed the entirety of his meal at once—he used the water in his flask to kill the flames. They went out with small sizzles, the evaporated water making its way into the air sneakily. Naruto watched the fire being put out, then smiled broadly at Sasuke before yawning.

The fakeness behind it was almost painful.

"Ahh! I guess I'll hit the hay, now!" he exclaimed with a stiff stretch of his arms. If Sasuke was putting out the fire so early, he must be tired. And who was he to deny that? The quicker the better, the quicker the better!

Naruto laid down on his side, his back to Sasuke. His hands cushioned his head, and he crossed his legs to make up for the warmth of the late fire. The unkempt grass tickled his nose a bit, and he grumbled as he shifted from the offending plant. He needed to get as comfortable as possible; he was prepared to wait out the time it took for Sasuke to fall asleep.

Great minds think alike. Sasuke also positioned himself on the side of his body. His hands were together as his head rested atop it, and he curled his legs up as close as possible for warmth. It was similar to his sleeping pose from the previous night. Though, this time, he faced his mare's side. Her body heat radiated to him, and he felt rather soothed by being so close to her. Surely she would make a ruckus if Naruto tried anything snakey throughout the night.

Above, stars lit the way for any travelers on foot. Constellations became crystal clear, and the clouds were too thin to veil the wondrous shine. Luna sat proudly in the sky, having taken over for the night. She basked in the admiration she received from the children of the earth, namely those who stayed up to watch her in the sky. Aurora was coming soon enough, and Sol was making his way around the globe.

Sasuke's eyes were burning around the edges. The chilly air hadn't done much to keep him awake; he resorted to pinching his cheek and lips with enough force to leave a numbing ache. Even then, the power of exhaustion was gloating about its upper hand. Naruto had been a fighter. It was only minutes ago when he _finally_ started snoring. The Uchiha prince rolled his body over softly to investigate.

His soon-to-be map's owner was sprawled out, having unraveled from his previous position. The blond had moved to lay on his back, legs spread with a hand resting on his chest. His lips were parted to emit audibly snores, and occasional mumbles of sleeptalk. Sasuke was reminded of a starfish. A dumb, greedy, blond, starfish.

Like a jungle cat, Sasuke surreptitiously proceeded to stand on his hands and knees. His armor creaked softly as he moved, but it wasn't loud enough to stir the one he pursued. He crawled slowly to his target, holding his breath as he did. Naruto had only mumbled when Sasuke placed a knee over his waist, effectively straddling his hips without sitting on him. With his mind being fuddled from lack of sleep, he became briefly distracted in Naruto's looks. He seemed so peaceful as he slept, his face relaxed as he dreamed sweetly. Incomprehensible words left him as he squirmed beneath the raven, and the said teen almost felt bad for what he was about to do. What would his mother think of him leaving someone so helpless, to fend for himself? Not to mention Naruto's bubbly persona, which could only be further evidence towards his ignorance.

Oh, well.

Sasuke wet his lips, leaning forward to balance his weight on one hand. The idle hand had started for Naruto's neck, where he could see the tall tales of paper from within the armor. All he needed was to pinch it, then slide it out. He would be back on his way to saving Sakura, and proving his worth. It was still night, and dangerous to travel. However, he planned to camp out somewhere else, farther away, and wake up early enough to make a smooth getaway. The plan was foolproof.

Or, so he thought.

The movement was so quick, Sasuke felt his heart nearly burst out of his chest in one beat. Glistening in a short flash was none other than a sword, and he jolted backwards. His chin raised up towards the stars, almost praying that the heavens wouldn't permit any danger towards him. The material of the sword was cold against his throat, and one push of the edge had sent tingles of pain from broken skin.

He hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes out of preparation for impact, until Naruto spoke. "Don't even fucking try it, asshole," he growled from below. His voice was hoarse from exhaustion.

Sasuke's eyes opened slowly—individually, going one at a time. The lump in his throat had bobbed with a thick swallow. This action pushed the skin closer to the sharpness of the sword, and he frowned deeply at being caught in such an embarrassing, _inferior_ predicament. The tables had definitely turned over the course of mere hours. Naruto didn't look too haughty though, for his eyes were becoming red-rimmed and bulgy. Darkness beneath had become illuminated by the moon's shine.

In shame, and a state of pure enervation, Sasuke accepted that this wasn't going to be easy. However, this wouldn't be the end of it. Even if this did determine that they were to travel together, he wasn't going to lose to Naruto. The latter was thinking the same, bringing such thoughts to his subconscious mind. He was going to save Sakura, and make Sasuke believe it.

"You won't get in my way," they spat in union, glowering with enmity at one another.

* * *

 _ **A/N: This is going to be so fun to write. Ah, Jordan, I hope you felt the sexual tension between those two in this scene. It was kinda one-sided, but hey. I tried.**_

 _ **Also, thank you to the recent review I got. It was very thoughtful, and I loved it. You've been reading closely. But, it's not entirely what you're expecting. Stick around and see! All reviews have made me happy, by the way! Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Morning had been skipped entirely, for the sleeping teenagers had allowed for exhaustion to seep into their souls. With limbs weighed down by heavy armor and lack of sleep, both rested late into the afternoon. The sun stood high in the sky, beaming with pride for those below it. Animals roamed about, though with a subtle decrease in energy when juxtaposed to hours beforehand. Breakfast had been served long ago, and the nearby tavern boomed with customers; it was a little over lunchtime, and happy hour was only one-hundred and twenty minutes away!

Sasuke had curled up on the opposite side of his mare, effectively shielding his person from Naruto's sight. Following the rather embarrassing encounter from the previous night, he decided to stray away from his newfound rival. Upon his waking moment, the breeze from the midday air had stung his throat. The pressure of the sword against his gullet had broken the skin. As a result, the pain resembled a papercut. He learned in that moment that despite Naruto's dorky demeanor, he was trained in the field of self-defense. _Skillfully_ trained, at that.

On the contrary, Naruto had refrained from changing his area of rest. Because he had convinced himself of his worth, his subconscious mind was able to remember. He also opened what he liked to call his "third eye." Thus, with even the slightest instinct of retaliation, he attacked. In all honesty with himself, he felt rather smug; being able to watch someone like Sasuke fumble, even if it was masked expertly, caused a prominent swell of his head. Confidence kept him still, and lightly asleep. Nevertheless, he felt a tad bit uneasy about Sasuke now that he knew of the raven's plans. He wished to know about the dynamics of his thought process, in its entirety, but that was just unrealistic.

 _The night sky had been bleeding into a shade of baby blue, which was gradually growing lighter, when Naruto had crawled over to the horse. He had no intentions to truthfully take it considering he didn't doubt Sasuke's ability to fight. Really, the purpose of his movement from his sleeping spot, to the dozing mare, was to check on Sasuke. He didn't believe he was asleep. The thought of intimidating him with more threats seemed fun, too. Not only that, but he would be able to stand his ground for the duration of their time together. Asserted dominance was key._

 _A head of blond hair went first before azure eyes had peered over the horse's saddled back. What he saw had kept him frozen for prolonged moments: Sasuke was asleep, in what seemed to be a moment of peace. His dark eyelashes fanned the lightness of his cheek. He was dreaming, for his eyes were moving beneath the lids based on the observable flickers. Even in the scarce light from the impending morning, his skin glowed. Yes, glowed. That's how...pale, he was. The dark tresses that spilled over his forehead highlighted this fact. It wasn't bad, though. Naruto may not like the guy, for his attitude spoiled everything, but he could admit when someone was physically appealing._

For the first time since they'd met, the raven's face wasn't tight. His eyebrows were relaxed, and his mouth wasn't turned down at the edges. He wasn't smiling, but it was a start. Simply by the way he looked, Naruto yearned to know what was happening in his dream. In his damned _brain_. Then he began to question: what did a guy like him want with Sakura? Considering he was rather "dreamy," as a girl would call it, he could have any woman he wanted as a wife. Of course, there was the hypothesis that he sought out his looks as an aid to win Sakura over. Though, he couldn't imagine what the mojo would be like if someone like Sasuke was romantically involved with someone like Sakura. Then, before his mind ran off like Nessie did, he forced himself to lock his curiosities away.

Although both males had woke up around the same time, Sasuke was first to sit up. His bones gave what sounded like a deafening crack, and he grappled to stretch properly. Behind his head, his arms extended to their full length, and his chest stretched outward. The metal of the armor clanked together with such stiff movements. Naruto shot up when the sound rang through his ears, startling Sasuke's mare. She huffed in evident irritation, but remained beside Sasuke. The Uchiha prince was appreciative of the fact that she hadn't stood upright. She was apparently waiting for Sasuke's waking moment, for she didn't adjust her position until he was on his feet.

Out of caution for his safety and success on this odyssey, Naruto was on his feet seconds after Sasuke was. He hadn't stretched initially, so the force of his inelastic muscles was strong. It left him with no choice other than to wiggle out the bands of the previous night. His actions were awkward, for he felt Sasuke's eyes on him; he was trying to move gracefully, and simultaneously away from the raven. Tensions still ran high between the two.

Eating was out of the question, for Sasuke silently refused to feed Naruto. He didn't rub it in either, though. Oddly enough, he didn't feel hungry enough to indulge in a meal. Whether it was for himself, or out of spite towards Naruto, he was in no mood to eat. The reasoning behind this stumped him, but he felt no motivation to investigate. (He ignored the voice in his head informing him that his wounded pride left him without strong hunger.) Instead of dwelling, he tightened the halter strips around his mare's snout and neck. He then slid onto her saddle with enough effortless grace to make Naruto growl. The latter was audible, and Sasuke almost smirked.

Silence swallowed the atmosphere around them as they began their travel. Amphibia was what they remembered to be their first location. Gathered from background knowledge, the most that both of them knew about the area was that it was wet. It also caused a number of skin complications if one did not proceed with caution. Their shared concern resided within their necessary armor. The possibility of it getting wet would render it useless by rust. Such an occurrence wouldn't be good for their journey, decreasing their chances of survival.

Sasuke kept his hands tight around the reins as he surveyed the environment. When his mare stepped under some patches of sunlight, he could tell that it was getting late. Oversleeping wasn't very strategic in regards to his goal. His attention was redirected to the blond beside him when Naruto moved. Walking beside the horse, the blond pulled the map free of within his armor to examine the needed directions. Just as Sasuke refrained from nourishing them, Naruto kept the contents of the map inside his head. Fortunately for the Uchiha, there was the option of following Naruto's every move.

Deeming the aforementioned option to be suitable, he did just that. He ignored the other male's scowling from over his shoulder, in addition to the poor attempts to conceal the map from view. His focus on Naruto had been diverted entirely, however, when their surroundings had shifted. The light had decreased drastically, for the open spaces between trees were no longer apparent. Capability to see came from illumination of the leaves, setting off a green brightness to them. Still, the lighting was inadequate. Moss also coated the rocks, and the bark of expansive trees.

Naruto had caught notice of the change in area soon, thereafter. Unlike Sasuke, he vocally expressed his confusion and unsettled mood towards the situation. "What the hell's goin' on here?" he asked with a frown of skepticism. His partner shared his thoughts; he tugged on the reins in his hold, stopping his horse's strolling, and eyed the dense forest for possible danger. Everything seemed green.

In his moment of concern, Sasuke dismissed his internal distrust in Naruto. He didn't disregard his comment, like he might've chose to under different circumstances. "I don't know, but it seems fishy. We must be getting close."

As they continued to discreetly take in what was around them, they mentally digested their previous interaction. Rivalry hit them, and they both turned to each other with scornful looks. The raven's upper lip curled softly, baring the smallest hints of his teeth. It was purified disgust. The blond, on the contrary, loosened his lower lip as he growled like a feral. _His_ aura oozed of anger, and intolerance for the male before him. The last thing they desired was giving each other the wrong idea.

Their moment was halted, however, when a loud crunching noise sounded. They snapped their heads towards its direction, both unsheathing their swords in preparation for battle. Before there eyes was a sign, a plank of beige wood nailed to a wooden stick. It was lopsided, and littered with holes. As the floorboards were in the tavern, the edges were jagged enough to be hazardous. Written with poor penmanship, in chipping, red paint, was the word "Amphibia." The sign wasn't there a second ago—judging from the fresh dirt and grass around the word, it had just been lifted from the ground.

Sasuke didn't sit well with this. He slid from his horse immediately and clutched to his sword's handle. The mare had been frightened by the sign, for she witnessed its rising. Her master had to gently pet her snout to relax her. Once she settled enough, holding a tremendous amount of trust in him, he stepped towards the mysterious sign. Not only had it randomly appeared from _underground_ , but it was signifying that they were in Amphibia. There was nothing remotely different enough about the location for it to be Amphibia.

Naruto studied Sasuke as the latter male investigated. He was equally disturbed by the aspects revolving around the odd sign. What was a rational explanation for it? Many possibilities ran through his mind, all of them being anything but rational. Such thoughts kept him rooted to his spot beside the mare, who he chose to dub as "Nessie two-point-oh." She huffed at him, almost telling him to accompany Sasuke. He silently decided against it, huffing with disbelief. Like _hell._

He remained rather still until he heard a croaking noise. His initial response was to ignore it, and keep watch if something was going to drag Sasuke to the core of the Earth. The croak repeated, being slightly louder than before. It won over Naruto's attention, and he looked to his left. Fragile moss greeted him as it bombarded the nearby trees. His next thought was to look down. When he did so, he saw a small frog by his feet.

"Hey, little buddy!" he chirped happily. A broad grin crossed his features, its width causing his eyes to narrow. Bending down, he scooped the slippery creature up into his arms. Its legs twitched as it was raised from under its yellow, plump belly. An adjustment period granted it the ability to rest in Naruto's cupped hands completely. Said Uzumaki always had a soft spot for frogs; his old tutor had plenty of them, and they intrigued the blond to no end. Sometimes, when it was hot enough, he would find a cool pond to go swimming in. The pond would usually be abundant in frogs, and he would watch them without disturbing them.

This new frog wasn't any different in the reaction it got from Naruto. He took in the green skin, and the black and yellow designs adorning its back. Not to mention the exquisite color of its eyes. It tilted its head as Naruto smiled at it. Just as the blond was going to blabber to it, its tongue shot out of its mouth. The former was like elastic in the way it extended, and the tip of it aimed for Naruto's eye. It missed though, for Naruto's reflexes enabled him to close it in time. Instead, the tongue had attached itself to a high cheekbone, right below the eye.

Naruto felt the sticky surface of the warm muscle. He was prepared to swat it away, assuming the frog had seen a bug near his cheek. However, he didn't need to; the frog brought its tongue back into its mouth with an audibly tearing noise. Naruto flinched then, for he felt a burning sensation under his eye.

"Ow!" he yelped, shifting the frog into the hold of one hand. His idle hand reached up and covered the site of the pain, hoping to alleviate it. Sasuke had heard it, and his natural reaction demanded he probe the situation. He sprinted the short distance to Naruto, noticing the hand over his cheek.

"What did you do, you idiot?" he questioned with more…concern, than venom. The worried tone was only briefly pondered on before Naruto registered the increasing burn beneath his palm. He hissed as he slowly moved his hand for inspection. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed into a glare as he scrutinized the injury. Dozens of tiny holes could be seen on Naruto's skin. They quickly disappeared though, for blood flowed and spilled out of them. Naruto's eye involuntarily stayed closed, for the sting had returned as blood descended down his cheek. It did well with the bruise on the other side of his face, which hadn't healed much from the time of their meeting.

Sasuke looked up from the wound and into Naruto's opened eye. His sword's handle was choked as his heart raced; something had attacked, and he could feel the need to be ready for battle. "How did this happen?"

He didn't expect for a frog to be raised to his vision. But, at the same time, he _did_ expect something as feeble as a frog. This was the idiot he was referring to. Naruto covered his puncture wound again, smearing blood all over his glove and cheek, alike. "This little guy did it!" he exclaimed, the frog staring at Sasuke innocently.

Now, environmental science and biology were courses taken by Sasuke as a child. His own private tutor had instructed him on the aspects of various living creatures. This included creatures beyond his wildest dreams, ones he wasn't aware existed until then. From what he collected, frogs had tongues textured with a stickiness. However, judging by the wound, this frog had a tongue coated in needle-like parts. Sharp. With that in consideration, Sasuke knew that this wasn't any ordinary frog.

His hand shot up and smacked the frog; the force was hard enough for it to fall from Naruto's hand. It hit the ground on its side, its long limbs sprawled out on the grass. After taking a short amount of time to collect itself, it prepared to jump away. Sasuke beat it to the punch; his heavy boot slammed down on the frog's back, effectively crushing its body to oblivion. Naruto screeched with a mix of disturbance and protest when he heard the crunching of…interior structures.

"What the hell, teme?! The thing was innocent! Sociopath!" he shouted, his eyes shifting from the twitching frog to the one beside him.

Sasuke gave the frog a black look. He didn't acknowledge Naruto's words. His prime focus regarded the strangeness behind the sign. In addition, the frog's dangerous tongue was something to think about. Not only that, but its whereabouts. Where would a lethal frog come from?

The question wasn't given long to develop, or find a possible answer. Both Sasuke and Naruto turned towards the sign when they heard thumping noises. Grass surrounding the sign moved up with each thump, before humps formed. Numerous humps were scattered around what was said to be Amphibia; as the sound increased in the volume, each hump followed in height. Anticipation ran through the bodies of the teens witnessing it. Anxiety came shortly after, for the small hills were broken at the peak.

Chunks of dirt fell down, and _new_ frogs appeared from within. The term "new" came from their appearance; Sasuke certainly suspected something terribly wrong, for these frogs were anything but ordinary. Their bodies were bulky and large, presumably heavy in weight, and littered with tall spikes. Their eyes were a dull black in entirety, sitting atop their heads instead of on the sides. Worst of all, sharp-looking teeth stuck out from both lips. Said teeth were bunched together, and stood in various directions.

Guttural noises left them as they crawled from out of the dirt. Sasuke felt beads of sweat collecting at his temple. His heart pumped with vigor, and his hand quivered as he held onto the handle of his sword. ' _What are these things?'_ he thought. The mutated frogs didn't seem friendly, but they didn't seem ready to attack. Once they were freed from the ground, they all stared at him and Naruto.

The Uchiha thought quickly, with careful calculation, that they begin the battle with prolonged movements. Perhaps, he figured, the frogs wouldn't retaliate unless they felt threatened. There didn't seem to be any other way to get past them. Beside him, Naruto was frozen with shock. He'd never seen such exotic-looking animals. It was froggy heaven, and he was definitely excited by it. A smile stretched on his face, and he ran towards the crowd of frogs.

"Hey, how cool is this?!" he asked boisterously. The noise startled Sasuke, and his head whipped to the side of him. The blond had already started moving, going straight for the monstrous beings before them.

"Naruto, don't!"

His warning was too late. In a harmony that brought chills to his bones, the frogs hissed at once. Spikes on their backs stood tall, and Naruto skid on his heels to stop himself. Sasuke's mare cried out as the frogs all jumped forward, bombarding Naruto to the ground with their massive weight. Apparently, they were heavier than they looked.

"Ah! Hey, hey!" Naruto yelled as the frogs climbed over him. One had opened its mouth to him, exposing it's horrendous dental statement as it hissed. His fist met its brolic body before it could bite, and he fought against the excessive weight to stand again.

Sasuke's body moved on its own; he ran forward and started for the frogs, ripping them from Naruto's person and flinging them against the trees. Their backs collided with the sturdy bark in loud thuds. Despite the sound giving off an impression of immense pain, the creatures bounced back from it. Their healing time was outstanding. Sasuke cursed as he noticed the previously thrown frogs came racing back with a vengeance. Fortunately for him, Naruto had gained a worthy enough advantage to stand and wield his sword.

"You little shits!" he screamed as he swung his sword at a frog that pounced. The metal blade sliced through its abdomen. It was reduced to two halves, both falling to the ground audibly. Sasuke mimicked Naruto's actions by unsheathing and wielding his own weapon. His mare had raised herself to her hind legs as the fighting ensued; she used her front legs to smash the frogs like bugs, her hooves digging into their slimy flesh. Some were decapitated, while others were split in twos. Purple, thick, transparent substances leaked from their severed bodies. Naruto and Sasuke fought with their backs together, covering each other's blind spots. Neither of them had time to consider how well they worked together.

As they sliced through the frogs, Sasuke noticed the lack of decrease in number. If anything, they seemed to be _increasing_. Tiredness was creeping into his body, gradually overpowering the adrenaline. He didn't back down yet, but his thinking began to see past these frogs' tactic. Or rather, their abilities to subdue their enemies. With his sharp eyes, he chose to observe a specific frog. He had just slaughtered it, having cut a deep gash into its body. Any other frogs were whacked away with his sword before they could reach his face, and his eyes stayed focused on that particular frog.

It remained stagnant on the floor, lying on its side. However, after a few minutes, its leg twitched. Following it was its arm, and then the gash that spread across its body. Skin grew over it until it closed, and the frog slowly returned to life. Regained energy enabled it to fight alongside its comrades, hissing and jumping for them.

Sasuke's eyes widened with amazement, and fear. So they _weren't_ increasing in number. In fact, they stayed consistent in their number. The gag was that they weren't dying at all. As Naruto and Sasuke regressed in their energy, attempting to kill the frogs completely, the latter would continue with their attack. It would continue until the exhaustion was given the upper hand, and the frogs would get the upper hand. He didn't want to think of what would happen after that. He'd never given much thought to how he would die.

"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto called from behind him. His arms were like machinery, continuing to swing without the command of their owner. "They're not dying!"

' _So, he's caught on, too?'_ Sasuke thought as he faced Naruto. A hiss sounded from behind him, and he held the sword handle with both hands. Shifting on his heel, the raven stabbed at a frog that was in mid-air, ready to land on his head. The blade landed in the center of its head. It fell quicker than Sasuke could move his sword, and landed on his boot. He resumed in striking the rest of the small army away when he realized his foot wasn't relieved of the extra weight.

Quick glances granted him the sight of a dead frog, which had been thoroughly trampled by its companions.

"Naruto! The heads!" he exclaimed. He utilized both hands to puncture open-head wounds in the frogs. Naruto had been using both hands to punch and slice, in contrast. When Sasuke spoke up, he turned with curiosity to him.

"Huh?" he questioned, then yelped when a frog landed on his face. Its webbed, padded fingers held his cheeks with a firm grip. His cheeks were squished in the process, leaving his mouth unable to produce much sound. Sasuke heard the struggle in the nick of time, though, and thrusted his sword into its head. The latter was thrown back in preparation to bite Naruto's face off, thus making it an easier target. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut as he readied himself to be killed by either the frog, or Sasuke.

After a few seconds went by, and he hadn't seen any ramen heaven light, he opened his eyes. Around the same time, the pressure on his cheeks had been lifted. The frog's belly dropped from his view, and he was faced with Sasuke's hard frown, instead. "Aim for their heads!" he repeated, holding up his blade. The tip was dripping with the purple liquid that served as the frog mutants' blood.

Though he knew it wasn't the appropriate time to think of such things, Naruto began to wonder about the reason behind Sasuke's previous action. Why'd he bother to save him? Regardless of them working as a fair team, he still didn't trust Sasuke. The raven's plan to steal his map was, possibly, still in motion. Sure, there was the theory that he was only keeping him alive for the sake of the map. But, the counter argument ran stronger. If he had figured out how to truly kill the frogs, he could've done just that even after Naruto died. Then, he could've snagged the map for himself and ran off with his horse! Briefly, as he thought of Nessie number two, he looked over at her. She seemed to be fending well for herself. She'd gotten the hang of things long ago, her hooves crushing the heads of the mutants.

When the two returned to their battle positions, back to back, they started for the heads. Be it slicing deep gashes into their heads, or sticking the end of the blade inside, they aimed well. Mutant frogs began to decrease in number then, finally relieving Naruto and Sasuke of the stress. "It's working!" Naruto verbally expressed, as usual. Excitement was clear in his tone, and Sasuke smirked with a small hum of acknowledgement. For their first battle together, they weren't too shabby.

It wasn't until they'd reduced the amount of frogs by half when the slimy animals stopped pouncing on them.

Sasuke and Naruto both observed as the army started for each other. Teeth ripped up skin, and spikes tore through flesh. They seemed to be hurting each other without reason, and compassion. Sasuke was definitely more confused and suspicious than disturbed, while Naruto couldn't turn away despite the stomach ache developing. Aches were worse considering he still had hunger cramps. Only after the frogs started climbing into each other's mouth, and atop each other, that the boys noticed _something_ was being assembled.

Within minutes, the frogs had all shape-shifted into one humongous toad. Some frogs had been sacrificed to form the sturdy structures of arms and legs. However, the rest of the body was squirming with interconnected creatures. Various parts stuck out from the "skin," and moved with off-putting wiggles. The head was the worst part, for it was simply numerous heads of the frogs all formed into one. Each head hissed, their mouths oozing with the lavender blood of their comrades. Sasuke and Naruto only came up to the monster's waist, in height. Width was incomparable between the three figures, and the two boys grew worried as they held their swords with shaking fists. Thick swallows occurred between both teens as the monster gave a loud groaning noise, which repulsed them.

Now they understood why the place was called "Amphibia."

* * *

 _ **A/N: God, the pads of my thumbs feel fried! Apologies for being overdue with an update! My sister took her laptop with her to New York, which is hours away. I had to type this chapter with my phone and iPad. I hate typing on these things. Not to mention the road trip I had, recently. That took up some time, too.**_

 _ **I hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you think via a review! Jordan, love, I hope you're very much liking this! All for you!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Sasuke's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Never before had he been faced with such monstrosity. This, he meant, in a literal sense; all of his training seemed useless at this point, for he knew his survival was _not_ guaranteed. Hell, he'd never left the walls of his kingdom alone. To come across something like this, under these circumstances, for the first time of his lonesome ventures, was truly terrifying. At that moment, he couldn't focus on his ultimate goal. His legs were quivering with the urge to run, and his heart was beginning to grow faster than his ribcage.

Beside him, Naruto was just as afraid. Though the blond had dreams of overpowering creatures like the one before him, seeing it in reality was a punch to the gut. A hard, _ruthless_ punch. His knuckles were ready to pop past the skin as he throttled the handle of his blade. The blade that felt useless, almost humorous, against the mutant. In that moment, he couldn't blame the chumps who vehemently refused to save Sakura. Witnessing this, so early into the quest, would surely cause Sakura's suitors to wet their pants.

The creature, with dozens of piercing, onyx eyes, observed the two teens that stared up at it. Sasuke's body gave an involuntary twitch when the mutant tilted its head in analyzation. Growls sounded from numerous mouths, though the noises were emitted as one. Abruptly, its hand raised in the air. The force caused a gust of wind to blow against the boys roughly. Sasuke shielded his face for a quick moment, for he didn't want to obscure his vision. All it took was one second to miss a move, and take a fatal hit. His thought process was on the right path, for the hand that squirmed with the bodies of frogs came back down.

Naruto was like a deer in headlights, and he grunted when Sasuke knocked him out of the way with his body. He fell onto his stomach, his hands breaking the fall at the last second. Sasuke was kneeling beside him, his attention towards their opponent. The hand missed, but it seemed to be a purposeful action. Beneath them, the ground crumbled to pieces before caving in. Sasuke's mare whinnied with surprise before backing up from the newborn sinkhole. Her master and his travelling partner didn't have time to register what happened; within seconds of the hole being created, they'd fell inside. Following shortly was the mutant, the sign, and the bodies of the dead frogs that littered the area.

The mare, dubbed Nessie the Second, focused on Sasuke as he fell. Almost immediately after he fell, she ran forward in an attempt to catch him. However, much to her misfortune, the ground regrew quicker than she could run. It was almost as if the damage had never been done. By the time she reached the area of the sinkhole, she was stepping on sturdy ground, and fresh grass that tickled her legs. Initially, she froze in preparation to be taken down. When it didn't happen, her next step was to stomp; she hoped to provoke another opening, and save her master. Grunts of frustration left her as she sniffed the floor, and readied herself to search.

Down below, Naruto's screams echoed throughout the darkness. Sasuke struggled to stay conscious as gravity dictated he descend. The force was an unwelcomed feeling on his body, and he was torn between screaming with Naruto, and vomiting in mid-air. Wind hit his face painfully, choking him up. His heart resumed its vigorous growing, threatening to burst out of his chest. Was this how he was going to die? Being swallowed by Mother Earth herself? His father wouldn't be proud that he didn't make it past his first destination. For reasons beyond his comprehension, he began to fathom the thought of a new heir. Perhaps, once message sent back that he was dead, his parents would have another child. He was merely a shadow person, forever the "baby" of the family. It'd be like he never existed, anyway.

His brooding thoughts were halted when Naruto's screams suddenly stopped. Not only that, but he was harshly smacked in the face. It was a stinging sensation. Before it could be thoroughly registered, his nostrils began to burn stronger. The feeling became mutual in his chest, deep within his lungs. Noises were muffled, and his body was suddenly heavier than normal to move. He hadn't realized that he'd closed his eyes until he opened them to scan his surroundings. Everything was green, and blurry; from afar, he could make out Naruto flailing his limbs about. Around them, like decorations, were dead frogs. Just as he was about to move, his chest gave a sharp pain. He couldn't breathe.

Naruto was still in sight. He'd stopped moving, for a cloud of red was stationed before him. He quickly recognized it as his own blood, from when he'd smeared it on his face. The cloud gradually became transparent as it expanded, then faded completely. Seconds after, he spotted Sasuke clawing his chest armor and kicking his feet. Did he not know how to swim?

' _Looks like he's_ not _so perfect,'_ he thought. Taking it as another opportunity to assert his skill and dominance, he started for the raven. Before he could make it to him, another mass swished between them with enough speed to push him farther back. Naruto squeezed his eyes closed to withstand the impact, then slowly re-opened them to adjust his vision. He nearly screamed again thereafter, for his eyes made contact with a serpent-like creature. Its long body wiggled with grace through the water as it went for the dead frogs. An extra dieseled frog was floating beside Sasuke, and the serpent's body whacked him upward and out of sight to catch it.

The Uzumaki did scream this time, causing bubbles to burst out of his mouth. It caught the dark serpent's attention, and his fears of meeting Sasuke's fate were coming true when it zoomed towards him. He couldn't make out anything other than its snakey body, and he braced himself by, yet again, clenching his eyes shut. The whack didn't hurt, but the idea of it hurting was enough to freak him out. He felt wind on his wet face, then the same force of gravity from earlier. He didn't make noise this time, for his throat was searing, and didn't loosen the tenseness of his body even after he hit firm ground. His only instinct was to breathe; the incoming air enhanced the burning of his esophagus.

In the darkness of his eyelids, he used his auditory senses to determine his safety. First, he heard the soft crunching of overbearing pressure on leaves or grass. Then, after further listening, he heard retching noises. Though he knew he shouldn't, he slowly opened his eyes to scrutinize the situation. It was difficult to see initially, for the water was somewhat irritating. Using his gloved hands to wipe his eyes, he bettered his line of sight. Unexpectedly, he saw Sasuke beside him. He was lying on his stomach, his hands being downward on the grass below him. His unusual hairstyle was ruined by the water, lying flat against his head instead of up and about.

Naruto observed a bit nervously as Sasuke's lips parted, and his throat visibly contracted and relaxed repeatedly. Such motions were quick in their changes, and he grimaced when Sasuke finally threw up. Water fused with bile oozed from his mouth, and saliva dribbled from the edge of his bottom lip once he was finished.

"Ew, Sasuke. You dirty bastard." Naruto grumbled. Sasuke's breathing was labored from the pressure of water on his lungs, and the uncomfortable sensation of regurgitating. Nevertheless, he was able to stare at the other male with narrowed eyes. His hand quivered briefly as he outstretched it, then smacked against the mass of blond locks. Naruto gave a small yelp when his head flew forward, then reached a hand up and caressed the site of the attack. Despite Sasuke's rather vulnerable state, he focused enough energy into that one smack.

The Uchiha prince redirected his mind from Naruto's immaturity, thereafter. Replacing it, instead, was their new location. His hair stuck to his forehead from the water, thus obscuring his view, and he smoothed it back to take a look. Somehow, he was able to keep in mind that they were below the Earth's surface. Mother Earth's womb was supposed to be a place of purity, unwelcome to such horrid creatures. At least, that's what he read. Truth be told, Amphibia was more like a large swamp; a large body of water sat behind them, and tall, unruly grass surrounded its perimeter. The water itself was dark, and littered with various types of vegetation. Lily pads were the first he recognized. Then, eyeing the trees, he noticed the subtle differences; white cedar, bald cypress, and black ash trees stood tall from the wetlands below. And, as it was above, moss coated bark and rocks.

Most notably, Sasuke couldn't see a lick of sunlight from above the cover of trees. He was starting to feel trapped without the warmth. It wasn't too obvious that they were underground, for the ceiling was high. The place went on forever, as well. One didn't hit any walls of dirt. It was pretty muggy, _suffocating_ , rather, and damp.

"Hey, where'd that frog monster go?"

Sasuke turned to Naruto upon him speaking. He'd forgotten about the creature, for everything else was weighing down on him at the moment. It wouldn't be clever to wait for it to make its appearance, though. As a form of answering Naruto's question, he gradually stood upright. The ground was soft, and it squelched beneath his heavy boots. His stomach didn't lurch, thankfully, but it was still heavy with ache from the water. Naruto stood shortly after he did, and remained close by. This was mostly out of fear of incoming danger. Sasuke wasn't too far off from Naruto's own thinking. As he assessed the possibility of their safety, he heard a soft hissing.

His first thought was to find the source of the sound. The latter wasn't anything pleasant. When it sent familiar shivers down his spine, he quickly figured out _what_ was making the noise. Problem was, he didn't know _where_ the holder of the noise was. So, thoughts of self-preservation dictated he stay still. The only part of him that moved was his eyeballs, rolling softly and with purposeful direction. To the right of him, there was nothing other than what he'd already seen. Nothing was different off to his left, either.

Naruto seemed to have heard the brief hissing; he had craned his neck to look forward, and then behind them at the water. It was still. Sasuke couldn't think of any other possible hiding spot. Had the sun been visible, it would've been easier to spot the bulk of the creature. With such girth, a streak of sunlight would have been blocked with the monster in its way. Unfortunately, they were below ground. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks, and he felt the walls of his throat constrict almost painfully.

"Naruto," he suddenly called quietly, his voice portraying an obvious struggle. Said male faced him with eyes full of question. Though Sasuke wasn't looking directly at him, from his peripheral vision, he could see that Naruto had him in his field of sight. Thus, blue eyes followed Sasuke's hand as it slithered behind his back. It could still be seen by the blond, since they were standing side by side. His thumb pressed against his palm before being covered by three fingers. The fourth, being his index, stood erect. For a moment, Naruto was confused. He portrayed this by furrowing his eyebrows, and scratching his head in evident obliviousness. However, the gears were grinding faster than he started speaking.

He was pointing up. It was _up_.

Very slowly, as if he were afraid he'd break his neck if he moved too fast, Naruto brought his chin upward. Hanging like a koala bear at the top of a white cedar was the frog monster. Its multiple pitch black eyes stared down at him and Sasuke. Its head gave an unsettling tilt, and it jumped down with a loud hiss. The noise jolted Sasuke to a start, and he gripped Naruto's armored wrist as leverage. As the creature made its descent to them, he ran in the opposite direction. This brought them closer to the water, where they'd first fallen. His hold on Naruto connected them, and made it easier for the blond to follow. His desire to be followed was beyond his comprehension, but he quickly soothed his mind by convincing himself that he was keeping the map safe. Then, of course, there was the side of him that wished for anything _but_ death of another.

The creature appeared larger than it did before. It seemed that it was able to obtain its true size when in the comfort of its habitat. Sasuke released Naruto's wrist to unleash his sword. As he'd hoped, the blond mimicked his actions, and they both pointed their swords towards the monster. Said monster had hit the ground with a rumble, splashing mud unto and crushing grass with its own feet. It didn't show any signs of fear, but rather mockery. Distance between its legs increased as Naruto's did, and its hands clutched to an imaginary handle.

Sasuke almost laughed. For something so ugly, it had personality. It was mocking their fighting stance. He chose to narrow his eyes, glowering up at it. When it caught sight of such a deadly look, it released a bubbly screeching noise. Laughter. Any harbored premonitions of terror quickly morphed into strong irritation. He was too accustomed to not being taken seriously, and it was the fastest method to agitate him. The creature in front of him, the _eyes_ began to take a familiar form. First, he saw his father. His mother followed suit, claiming a pair of eyes for herself. He then saw his brother, as well as the workers of his castle. Cousins, aunts, and uncles alike. They all looked down at him with laughter, and incredulity towards his attempt to arise intimidation.

His urge to channel the sudden rage, which leaked into his bloodstream, was subdued by rational thought. Instead of giving them the satisfaction of victory, the best of him, he would calmly prove them wrong. To begin, he would make use of his Uchiha genes. Namely, he began to brew a plan to defeat the frog monster in front of him.

Naruto had been observing the monster, analyzing its every move. He hadn't been blind to its focus on Sasuke, and he wasn't deaf to the cackle-like noises that it emitted. As the creature began to taunt the raven, Naruto allowed himself a glance at the teen beside him. The glance prolonged immediately, then turned into a look of scrutinization. Despite the space dividing them, and the lack of sunlight to better his observations, the hurt look sweeping over Sasuke's face was caught. It wasn't too noticeable, for the expression of anger returned seconds afterwards. However, Naruto found himself sensitive to the energy around him. And, with Sasuke having put his guard down for that one instant, he could feel a deeper layer of the boy next to him. One that was hidden to the rest of the world.

He was shaken out of his stupor when Sasuke looked at him through the corner of his eye.

"Naruto, cut it down!" he suddenly commanded, his tone holding a newfound sturdiness. It took a while for the blond to understand, but when he did, he gave a nod to communicate this. They both took steps away from each other, and aligned themselves with a leg of the monster. Then, after a silently mutual signal to start, they ran forward for a knee.

Both blades sliced both knees simultaneously. The frog gave a garbled cry of pain, and the gaping wounds gushed with purple liquid. Naruto jumped back with shocked disgust, but Sasuke ran under the monster. His strategy consisted of erasing the monster of its advantage over them. Specifically, he planned to reduce the size of it. He would cut it down until it was at forced to succumb to their range. Then, he would climb on top of it and stab it at the center of its "head." He knew the head was the weak point, and figured it shouldn't be any different under these new circumstances.

Naruto scurried around the monster as its legs quivered, and it fell to the ground. It kneeled, bracing itself by balancing its weight on its arms. Since he was up close, the blond could see the visual makeup of the it; not only were limbs used, but _organs_ , as well. They weren't like human organs in shape. This made them all the more disgusting, and the urge to run increased.

From behind the monster, Sasuke observed the details of its body as well. He was equally disturbed. Maybe even a bit more, since he was able to see deeper into the makeup. Holding the disfigured body parts together was none other than their blood. The purple liquid had taken on a darker hue, and seemed to get thicker in consistency. It was truly nauseating. Nevertheless, his focus resided in further damage. So, he jerked his blade into the creature's lower back. Due to the kneeled position, he was able to aim higher than he would've moments ago.

The creature emitted another noise of pain. Except, this time, it wasn't a unified sound. Each individual mouth screeched out, the volumes and pitches varying. It resembled a massacre, with each slaughtered soul expressing their agony differently. All in all, it sent unpleasant goosebumps over Sasuke's skin. Getting the blade out was a bit of a struggle, for the excessive flesh was deep. This caused further pain for the monster, since Sasuke was twisting the blade about as he grappled. More tendons and ligaments were destroyed, and the screeching had only worsened in its blatant cry for riddance of the pain.

He placed the base of his boot on its back, stilling the wiggling creature enough to rip the blade free. Purple blood squirted from the opening, and provided a clean coat over the metal. It sent a stinging sensation up the frog's back, and it took to its feet to try and attack. From in front of it, Naruto could see the blood oozing from the injury. He concurred that Sasuke was merely deciding on slicing it up. He found it to be a good excuse to wield his sword, and make use of himself. Running forward, he swiped the tip of his blade along the large stomach.

By then, the grass was sticky with mutant frog blood. Naruto ducked under the monster after slicing its stomach open, and took cover by Sasuke. It took uncoordinated steps, and the two observed the slow growth of new cells. It still healed itself as one, but not as fast as it did when individuals. The frog released a rather pitiful groan of pain, then held a hand to its back. Meanwhile, it started to search for the two teens.

Sasuke took this as his opportunity to kill it. Using the hand to its back, he sheathed his sword before climbing up. The fingers were thick enough to clutch, and carry his weight. By the time the frog felt it, he was already scurrying up its arm. Naruto watched in awe, and slight envy. How come he didn't think of that? He could've thought of that. Truthfully, he was too busy being revolted by the sight of the frog. He grew fearful when the frog turned towards him, and held up his sword shakily. From on its shoulder, Sasuke stretched out his arms to keep his balance. The frog then started whipping its arms around, having felt Sasuke on him, and slapping itself free of where it thought he was was.

He took note of the frog parts detaching themselves from the large body. An arm came out to grab his ankle, and he stomped on it to be released. A half-eaten head came out shortly after, releasing a jumbled noise before gnawing at the tip of his boot. He kicked it off forcefully enough to send it flying forward. Naruto and the frog creature both noticed it, for it had fallen between them. The blond gasped, for the frog had realized Sasuke's location in its body.

"Sasuke, look out!" he screamed in warning. Just then, it raised its hand to smack itself on the head. Naruto approximated that Sasuke's entire body would be crushed with one hit. In a flurry of movements, all being under the influence of purified adrenaline, he sprinted for the frog's marred stomach. The wound was nearly healed. That changed, however, for he added a fresh dash across it. Inevitably, it re-opened the cut while creating more depth. Blood splattered onto his cheek from impact.

The frog gave another cry of pain, and Naruto sheathed his sword to jump as high as he could. Successfully, he got a grip onto its thigh. It was pretty gross, having the slimy surface of its "skin" against his cheek. He was thankful that the rest of his body was safely concealed from contact. His focus then shifted to his arms and legs. He used both to squeeze the width of the thigh. He grit his teeth as he used much of his strength as he could. To his surprise, the slice in its knee had popped open from the force. The next cry was rather deafening, and Naruto held on moreso to keep from falling. The frog stumbled backwards, then slipped along the mushy ground of the water's shoreline.

Sasuke fell onto his knees as the frog lost its footing. He fisted the flesh of its head to keep a sturdy hold when the frog's leg dipped into the water. He looked down, behind him, to see the very tips of Naruto's unruly hair poking out of the water. Bubbles appeared beside his hair, and Sasuke released a sharp exhale of relief. He then took note of the frog's blood spreading throughout the water. The latter diluted the thickness before dominating the blood's visible presence.

Naruto watched from underwater as the blood seeped. He then gasped when he was raised up above the water. The frog regained its balance, and stood upright with less swaying. Sasuke freed the flesh in his hands upon feeling the increased height, and got on his own feet. His sword was also taken out for use, and he held the handle with both hands. As he readied himself to stab the center of its head, the palm of the frog's hand had casted overhead once more. He quickly shifted his sword's positioning, and sent it through the palm before he was crushed.

Before the frog could provide further retaliation, something new had arised from the water behind them. Naruto was the first to notice it; it was the serpent, and it had begun to wrap itself around the frog's leg opposite to him. Up close, he could tell it was just a tail of some sort. There was still no head. Its skin was black, though with a bluish tint, and he could easily tell that the texture was slimy. His eyes widened as he also remembered the serpent's liking for frogs as a meal. Realization dawned on him, and he gasped shakily before speaking.

"Sasuke, you have to get down!"

The raven was attempting to work his blade from out of the frog's hand. When Naruto spoke, he looked down for what he intended to be a quick glance. Though, the moment extended when he noticed the tail of the serpent. It had made its way to the frog's torso in seconds. The frog noticed, and forgot about the sword lodged in its palm. Sasuke kept his hand on the handle, and was swung downward when the frog moved its arm down.

This action loosened the blade, and Sasuke was able to slip free with his weapon. He landed with little ungrace, and watched as the frog was quickly sucked into the water. It wasn't until Naruto was dunked in when his presence was acknowledged. The sword was forgotten, and Sasuke raced forward towards the water.

Naruto's head came to the surface seconds later, and he took a deep breath of air. Sasuke skidded to a stop once Naruto was breathing, in one piece. The blond blinked a few times, then chuckled sheepishly. It was an instant reaction to mask the horrible beating of his heart from within his throat.

"That was a close one. For a second there, I thought—!" He was cut off when an unknown forced jerked him backwards, and back into the water. His arms flailed forward to grip the tall grass, and stay afloat. The metal of his armor added to the heaviness, and he struggled to fight the force as he was continuously pulled. Sasuke's eyes widened with terror, and he gripped Naruto's wrists. He pulled with every fiber of his being. His teeth nearly shattered from how hard he was gritting them. Whenever he skid too close to the water, he took more steps back.

Naruto's head slowly emerged, followed by his chest. Coughs of water escaped him, dribbling down his chin as he was slowly pulled up. He kicked his feet to help, and after a loud shredding noise sounded, he was released. Sasuke fell back from the sudden liberation of what was revealed to be Naruto's orange cape. Said blond crawled out of the water, and away from it entirely. Sasuke followed suit.

Both boys panted softly from their efforts once they were far enough from the water, and allowed to finally relax. Naruto whipped his head side to side to relieve the sinking feeling of his drenched hair. He then raised an arm to look behind him. His cape had been torn jaggedly, the tear starting from one end before making its way up along the bright fabric. He grumbled a bit after sucking his teeth and let his arm drop.

Sasuke couldn't help but to chuckle at that. The noise startled Naruto, and he spit out some water before turning to the raven. His initial thought was to strike Sasuke for laughing. His near-death experience wasn't fun, and he didn't find anything humorous about the ruining of his cape. Instead, he found himself absorbed in the sight of Sasuke's tiny smile. It was pretty. _He_ was pretty. Such a realization made the chuckles sound…good? Rather than mocking?

His thoughts were prohibited from evolving; he tore his eyes away with a soft warmth of his cheeks, and a pout. His eyebrows tightened into a light frown. Sasuke stopped chuckling when Naruto grumbled some more. He assumed it was about the cape, and stood with a sigh.

"Quit your moping. Let's get out of here."

He started walking away from the water after speaking. Naruto's frown eased as he watched Sasuke's back move away. The impersonal, coldness of Sasuke's tone brought him back to reality, and he felt the familiar atmosphere of tenseness settle upon them. Distance, was what he liked to call it. And distance is what it would stay until he reached Sakura.

Nonetheless, as he stood and caught up with the raven, he couldn't help but to feel…closer. Even if by an inch, it was like discovering a grain of gold in a pile of dirt. It glistened and shined, proving its importance. He wanted to throw the gold away, and continue on with searching for something bigger. Like Sakura! The gold was persistent though, and he found himself mentally pocketing it for further use. Perhaps something good was to come of it.

Perhaps, it was a sign for a nugget coming his way.

* * *

 _ **Uh oh, is our precious Naruto starting to develop the feels? Stay tuned to find out.**_

 _ **I hope you guys liked it! I finally have access to a laptop, so hoorah! Next chapter should be up within 1-2 days. In the meantime, let me know what you think in a review. Xoxo Jojo!**_


	6. Chapter 6

Dirt particles were shaken from their placement. Sasuke had to keep his eyes closed, for he didn't want to risk any damage to them. Beads of sweat had turned into a sticky layer on his skin. Specifically, around his hairline and forehead. His legs tightened their hold around a tree branch, and he shifted his arms to acquire new positioning. The tip of his blade moved from the rather pathetic dent that it made. Beside it, he began to stab at the hard soil again. He was hoping to find a soft spot, and create a larger hole. That way, he'd be able to dig his way out of the heavy humidity that was Amphibia.

At the peak of a nearby tree, Naruto was doing the same. Unlike Sasuke, he stabbed with an increase in hyperactivity. As a result, dirt particles were inevitably trapped in his eyes. He would pause in his ministrations to hiss, and clench his eyes closed. The fabric of his gloves provided further irritation as he attempted to rub the dirt out. In the end, he was forced to take a break from the entire mission. He sheathed his sword, and crossed his arms with a severe pout of the lower lip.

From the corner of his eye, Sasuke caught the cessation in movement from the bright blond. It was pretty hard to miss, after all. He lowered his sword and turned towards Naruto, who was still sulking over the dull sting of his eyes. "Oi! Don't stop now, we're losing daylight!" he called from atop his tree.

Naruto perked up when he heard Sasuke's voice. The pout turned into a scowl, and he raised his arms with a frustrated roar. "We don't even know if it's daylight! For all we know, it could be snowing up there!" he complained.

His obnoxious voice boomed through the surrounding area. It was loud enough to bring about potential predators. He couldn't bring himself to care, however. The heat was smoldering, and he was immensely hungry. Sasuke was aware of the latter fact, and had promised to hunt as soon as they reached the surface above. Briefly, he wondered if his mare was fairing fine without him. The idea of food had put Naruto at bay, and motivated him to work. Obviously, it didn't last long enough.

"Quit whining, numb nut, and keep stabbing!" Sasuke replied, only raising his voice to be heard by the other. Said other mentally declared that he had enough. He placed his hands on the closest branch beside his own, and began to climb down the towering tree. Sasuke stopped his preparatory actions to continue himself, and watched as Naruto disappeared in the extensive green of leaves. A sigh was withdrawn from the raven, and he placed his sword into its leather scabbard before making his way down. Although he and Naruto worked well when it came to the defeating of the frog mutant, it was the small complications that made it annoying to travel together. In this case, endurance was something Naruto had yet to learn.

Sasuke moved with limited flexibility as he slid from the tree, and onto the mushy ground. His boots suppressed the land, and he placed his hands on his hips with a frown. Naruto had yet to come down from his tree, yet the rustling of shaken leaves signified his location throughout. The raven waited with dwindling patience. Soon enough, Naruto had hopped down and out of the tree. His landing wasn't as smooth as Sasuke's, but he hadn't fallen. His face was covered in thin streaks of dirt, and his eyes were rimmed red from irritation. Upon seeing the Uchiha, the Uzumaki's scowl returned with a striking vengeance.

"We've been assaulting the dirt for about an hour! There's no way to get out of here! Now, either you get me something to eat, or I'm not movin' from this spot." To add some legitimacy to his threat, he carefully seated himself on the soft floor. His legs crossed, and he folded his arms over his chest, again. The position appeared to be equally stubborn as the one who held it.

"Don't be a child," Sasuke growled after rolling his eyes. Indeed, his levels of patience was deteriorating by the minute. "Get up."

Naruto only stuck his nose into the air with haughtiness, and silent refusal. Sasuke let his hands drop from his hips, and contemplated leaving to find a solution on his own. A thought crossed his mind though, and prevented him from taking any steps further: he didn't have a map to leave. Even if he did manage to find a method of escape, he would be lost within a few steps. Furthermore, he didn't have his mare with him. Something about the thought of being alone made him feel uneasy. And by "something," he meant the possibility of crossing paths with something worse than the frog mutant. Then, of course, it occurred to him that without Naruto, he would've been crushed under the frog's hand.

An exhale of defeat escaped his nostrils. He turned up towards the tree he'd occupied, then thought back on what he'd seen overhead. There wasn't much besides more trees, and numerous bodies of water. Suspiciously enough, there weren't many other creatures. This meant no food to cook, and a pissy Naruto to deal with.

The aforementioned blond was still pouting. His stomach was writhing as it digested itself, _painfully_ , and his eyes were _still_ trying to lubricate themselves with tears. As the other did, Naruto was beginning to theorize if he could travel alone. His only problem was the lack of bow and arrow for hunting. Food was his main concern; without proper sustenance, he grew pretty delirious. That was worse than lethargy, in his opinion. The last thing he needed was scaring Sakura off once he arrived with the intent to rescue her. Again, Sasuke still came in handy. So, he would continue to hold on to him for the time being.

As he was thinking, he relaxed his posture and facial expression. His hands rested in his lap, and his head hung slightly as he stared downward. Suddenly, from his peripheral vision, he saw movement. Remembrance surrounding the frog mutant and water serpent caused him to stiffen. The movement continued regardless, and within seconds, a small newt came into view. Its little body was no longer, or wider, than Naruto's own pointer finger. The color of it was a peachy pink, or rather coral.

It observed the end of his boot, then placed its tiny hand on it. The action was kinda cute, considering the newt was so small. Naruto grinned, then held his finger out invitingly. It looked up, revealing strikingly beautiful orbs of the summer sky. They were a brighter blue than his own eyes, holding a near transparent look.

"Hey, little fella!" he greeted as the newt scurried unto his finger. With such a small body, it moved with a graceful quickness. For a moment, it was on the ground beside his boot. Then, after a blur of color, it was wrapped around his finger. The newt tilted its head when he spoke, then stretched its lips in what appeared to be a grin of its own.

"Hey, little fella!" it repeated in a fast, high-pitched voice. Naruto giggled at such a pitch, and raised his idle index finger to pat its head.

"You're cute, little buddy!"

"You're cute, little buddy!"

He'd fallen into a fit of giggles then, and the newt only smiled wider. From his standpoint nearby, Sasuke overheard Naruto's joyously light laughter. After what they'd witnessed so far, he couldn't even begin to fathom what could be so humorous. In his state of curiosity, he returned to where he'd left Naruto in his search for a food source. The mud beneath his feet caused his every step to become audible. Thus, his approach was heard before he reached the blond male. The latter turned to face him, a horribly wide grin threatening to split his face.

"Sasuke, look what I found!" he said cheerfully. He raised his finger to present the newt, which had dropped its smile. Sasuke narrowed his eyes upon seeing the creature. He was extremely unimpressed. The newt craned its neck back as Naruto brought it closer to the raven for inspection.

"Are you gonna eat it?" Sasuke asked, a bit of hopefulness in his tone. Maybe he wouldn't have to search much for food, now. Naruto seemed offended by the question, however; he gasped with incredulity, and brought the newt to his chest. His hand shielded it protectively, and he turned his body away just slightly.

"What?! Of course not! Look," he began, smoothing out his stance in preparation to show Sasuke. The newt was raised up along with Naruto's finger, where it sat. He caught the newt's attention with another cheesy grin, then spoke.

"Say hi to Sasuke, little man!" Instantaneously, his words were repeated with a squeakiness. Sasuke's eyes widened in awe. It wasn't everyday that an amphibian started mocking everything one said. Though, after what he'd seen for the day, he quickly determined that this wasn't too bad. Naruto and the newt both smiled at each other. Then, the newt scurried from Naruto's finger, up his arm. Little pitter-patter noises sounded from each step on the metal armor. In a second or two, it was on his shoulder. After another second, which passed by due to a small pause, the newt was sitting up against Naruto's whiskered cheek. The whisker-like scars went thoroughly noticed by Sasuke when the newt rubbed up against one of them. Affection laced the action, and the Uchiha was reminded of a feline.

Naruto felt a warmth in his cheeks; they glinted a soft pink in color, and he gave the newt a sheepish look as it nuzzled against him. He deemed it worthy of his respect, and he guided it to sit on his palm. It was raised up again for Sasuke to see.

"Isn't it pretty cool?" he questioned. He didn't receive anything other than what he secretly expected. That being, a lack of impression. Sasuke turned on his heel and waved his hand, in a dismissive manner, over his shoulder.

"It's useless if it isn't going to help us out of here." he replied as he made his way back to his original stance, resuming his search for a worthy meal.

A pout had returned, and settled itself on Naruto's face shortly. "He can be such a dick.." he grumbled.

"Such a dick!" the newt squeaked back loudly, mirroring his words. His lips trembled as he held back a laugh, then shushed the newt gently. It copied the shushing noise, though gave a short flick of its head. The gesture seemed similar to that of a nod, and the understanding became clear. Naruto's smile slowly fell into a look of concentration. This creature didn't seem bad like the frogs had. Though the idea of frogs being antagonizing was pretty disappointing, he figured he could take advantage of the situation.

"Oi, do you think you could get us above ground?" he asked softly. A flash happened in the newt's eyes, and it suddenly hopped from in Naruto's hand. It scampered forward, and away from him with zig-zag motions in its path. He was thoroughly confused; could he have possibly offended it? His question was answered when the newt stopped dead in its tracks, then turned towards him. It gave him an expectant look, presumably waiting.

"Above? Above?"

Naruto blinked owlishly.

"You know how to get above?" In response, the newt gave the same flick of its head. A nod.

Quickly, he brought himself onto his feet to follow. Though, after a few steps, he skidded to a stop. What about Sasuke? The devil on his shoulder reminded him that Sasuke was nothing other than a rude, arrogant bastard. He didn't want to associate himself with that! The newt seemed like a better traveling partner. The angel, sitting on the opposite shoulder, spoke of the grain of gold from earlier. Instantly, he remembered the brief look of hurt that the frog had caused Sasuke. It looked familiar; it was something he'd seen in the mirror. That look greeted him every morning, and every night. There was definitely more to Sasuke that Naruto had yet to find out. And maybe, just _maybe_ , they could be friends.

Not to mention the benefits of food.

"Hey, Sasuke!" he screamed. Sasuke appeared following the ruffling of branches and trees. He looked somewhat concerned, but soon relaxed thereafter. His eyes filled with question, and Naruto spoke before such questions could be verbally expressed.

"The newt knows how to get above!"

"Above, above!" the newt exclaimed afterward, then started up its hurried walking towards a path in its head. Before Sasuke could protest, and explain how utterly _stupid_ it would be to take navigational advice from an amphibian, he was pulled along by Naruto.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, the newt was right.

He would never admit it. But, he was definitely glad that Naruto had come across the little newt. The latter was formally addressed as "Pip," and would respond to that name if called by the blond. Pip had taken them to a stream, which looked very similar to Crystal. A large salamander-ish creature was summoned by Pip, and after brief communication between the two, Sasuke and Naruto were both permitted onto its back. The salamander had only the head of an actual salamander. In contrast, it beared an extended neck similar to a turtle's, a humped back, and four flippers. Besides its anatomy, it had begun to take both boys upstream.

After going through a dark tunnel, it swam up what might've been a hill. Either way, within moments following, Sasuke saw the tall tales of light. And, soon enough, he could see the sky. The clouds were grey, portraying an impending storm, but still fairly bright. Around them was equally beautiful; a fair amount of newts and salamanders were living peacefully. They all ranged in color, but were each pretty tiny. Rocks surrounded a large pond, which was clear in juxtaposition to the water below. Sasuke concluded that Amphibia had many parts to it. Those who found the newts first, were very lucky. Pip had jumped into the water after the salamander had stopped along the shoreline.

"Bye-bye, Pip!" Naruto saluted dramatically. Pip repeated his words, along with the rest of the newts present. The blond sniffled happily after waving, then began walking towards the forest with Sasuke. He exhaled a sigh of joy, and casually placed his hands behind his back. It proved to be a good stretch for his arms. Then, he slid the map from out of his chest armor. To his shock, it hadn't gotten wet despite the numerous times he'd been in water. Theoretically, the water had a special effect on certain materials.

The two teens had started North, where they were expected to reach their second destination: "Lupine." Fortunately, they wouldn't have to travel far to get there. This was a moment of celebration for their muscles; fatigue had begun to settle on their limbs, being heightened by the lack of food in their system. According to what was known about Lupine, it was located near the mountains. There were plenty of deer and caribou, along with rabbits and rodents. On a negative note, it wasn't a good place for humans to dwell. Not many were able to tell the entire detail of a full stay, for they were driven out shortly after arrival. Those who lived in that area were extremely territorial. Thus, Sasuke concurred that they would have to move quickly once they reached Lupine.

In order to execute that plan successfully, they would need energy. So, after traveling far North for about an hour, he removed the shield from his back. Within was his bow, and several arrows. They had been wrapped up securely with rope. He undid the ties, and took out the bow and one arrow. Considering they weren't to come across his mare again, which saddened him slightly, he wanted to preserve the arrows as much as he could.

Naruto watched Sasuke's nimble fingers as they re-tied the extra arrows, and then that and the shield on his back. "We'll go up into the trees to search overhead. Don't make any noise once you find an animal." he explained in a hushed tone. The blond nodded in affirmation. He was definitely taking this seriously since he was all but in the mood for losing a good dinner.

Once Sasuke got his materials strapped onto his back, and his necessary weapon in hand, the two started for a nearby tree. They climbed to a height where they were permitted to look down. Around them, they could see the nests of birds. Some were filled with eggs, while others held birds themselves. Chirps could be heard scarcely, along with the soft flapping of wings. This proved Sasuke's earlier notion, of an incoming storm, to be true. Still, he became absorbed in the sights of the animals around him. He'd missed their presence for the period of time that he was trapped underground.

Abruptly, he felt a rough flick on the back of his head. Sharing a branch with Naruto, he knew the blond was the culprit. He turned to face him, and followed the line of direction that his gloved finger was pointing towards. "Look," he mouthed.

Up ahead, not too far from them, was a wolf. It was slim in figure, and abnormally big compared to what he'd seen of normal wolves. Its coat was very light, a lavender in color. That, too, was strange. Regardless of the oddness in its appearance, it was enough to provide meat for a hefty dinner. Naruto was just as excited, for his stomach was grumbling wildly. He observed with growing eagerness as Sasuke put the arrow in place. Stretching it back with the bowstring as he held the grip, he squeezed one eye shut to increase precision.

The arrowhead was aligned with the wolf. Said animal was sniffing about, carefully drinking in its surroundings with a timid delicacy. It was almost uncertain, as if it sensed its nearing death. Luckily, it didn't look towards Sasuke. He took a deep breath for good measure, then released the arrow. It zipped through the air, and straight for the wolf's side. Its body jerked, and it cried out in pain before taking unsteady steps. The arrow had embedded into the wolf's side, and blood began to dirty the pretty fur. For a short, morbid moment, Sasuke felt comforted by the sight of red blood instead of purple.

When it fell onto its side and ceased the twitching of its final moments, the raven began a careful climb down. Naruto followed suit, and it wasn't long before they both approached it.

"Good job spotting it," Sasuke muttered as he kneeled down stiffly, and placed a hand on the wolf's jugular with an almost tender touch. Naruto nearly blushed, for the compliment was unexpected. He didn't expect someone like Sasuke to award anyone with praise. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, then allowed the comment to boost his ego with a wide grin.

"A-Ahaha, it wasn't so hard!"

Almost a second after he'd spoken, the wolf's body jolted back to life. It jumped up on its legs with a snarl, causing Sasuke to fall back on his behind in startlement. Naruto placed his hand on his sword's handle, ready to fight. In contrast, the wolf was in no condition for a battle. Instead, it backed up with small growls to appear intimidating. Then, it turned its back and began to run from them.

Sasuke and Naruto waited until its heavy paws thumped away, the sound dying down. Silence ensued, and a sigh left the Uchiha as he returned to his feet. "I spoke too soon."

They returned to their hunting shortly after that. Sasuke was displeased with having to bring out another arrow for use. However, he had to admit that Naruto had a knack for animals. Or, in better terms, they almost gravitated towards him. He was able to spot a deer during their next search. This time, after being shot, it didn't return to life. It took a team effort to haul it up after it was killed; the idea had been Sasuke's, for he heard the soft rumbling of thunder in the distance.

"We have to find shelter for the storm."

To remain on the path of Lupine, they continued to travel up North. By the time rain started to pour down, they'd located a den. The deer was placed inside before they rushed back out to retrieve sticks. Lightning flashed through the forest, providing a light source to better locate more adequate wood. Sasuke's eyesight also aided in the execution of that task. Naruto, on the other hand, had picked up much less sticks before returning inside the cave. He busied himself with skinning the deer's meat, and collecting the best pieces. It was easy for him, for he had experience. When Sasuke finally returned, they worked together to cook as much as they could of their kill.

A fire was made, and dinner was finished and consumed in a reasonable amount of time.

"Ah!" Naruto yelped when a loud crack of thunder sounded. His yelp was returned by the hollowness of the den, which echoed back. Lightning struck somewhere, and it sounded as if the sky was being torn in half mercilessly. The rain came down with a heaviness alongside the crackling thunder. He was always freaked out by thunder and lightning. Strangely enough, though, it intrigued him. Masochistically, he stood at the opening of the cave to peer up at the sky in spite of his fears.

Sasuke sat by the fire, his arms crossed over his chest. His legs were also neatly folded before him, his boots tucked in beneath. His eyes were closed, and he felt soothed by the cracks and snaps of the wood as it was gradually destroyed by the fire. A gust of wind would occasionally wiggle its way inside, and he would peek an eye open to supervise the flame. They didn't need to be driven out of their only form of hiding. He was broken out of his trance when Naruto gave another scream. Such a shrilling sound bounced around the cave, and ground Sasuke's nerves.

"Get your ass in here, idiot!" He shouted, his eyes snapping open as he fisted the armor of his arms. Naruto turned to face him, and scowled at being called out of his name. There was that dickhead behavior, again.

"I'm not an idiot! Besides, I like the thunder."

"If that's the case, then stop screaming like you haven't got any sense. You're going to bring danger towards us."

The Uzumaki didn't allow himself to get too angry, for Sasuke had a point. Dictating that he'd had enough of observing the severe weather from outside, he slowly shifted to face the inside of the cave. He made his way to a seat across the raven, who had fallen back into his calming trance. Naruto observed the dancing flames, leaning back on his arms as he sat, then Sasuke's face.

Again, he admitted to himself that his traveling partner was very pretty. Beautiful, even. His features were clean-cut, and arranged perfectly on his face. The latter was rid of any marks and blemishes; that was except for an extremely faint beauty mark at the corner of his right eye. It was only noticeable from the light of the fire. How ironic. Said light flickered on Sasuke's face, accentuating the creaminess of his skin. His dark, full lashes caressed his cheeks, further highlighting the contrast in color. Most importantly, his eyebrows were relaxed. He wasn't frowning.

"What're you staring at?"

Naruto stiffened, then averted his eyes with slight panic. ' _How did he notice?! His freakin' eyes were closed!'_

"J-Just trying to wonder how someone like you could walk freely. You've got a face that only a mother could love!" he covered, internally patting his back for a good save.

Sasuke, on the other hand, slowly opened his eyes to stare at the fire in confusion. Truthfully, he was amazed rather than offended, or confused. Never before had someone called him anything far from pretty. And here was Naruto, indirectly calling him hideous. His looks were his most advantageous asset. However, he never truly appreciated it for the gift that it was. It caused people to dictate who his character was. Ultimately, no one ever took the time to get to know him. Along with his status, his charming physical appearance drove people away from him. He never truly felt normal because of it. Be it shallow attraction from fellow princesses, or double-edged bullying from male family members, his looks usually caused trouble for him. Sometimes, when he looked in the mirror, he wished he was average-looking. Maybe even considerably ugly, like that Penelope woman from the tavern. Would he be treated fairly, then?

And most importantly, what was it about Naruto that caused him to see Sasuke differently?

"Hey, uh," Naruto suddenly began, having sat up straighter and removed his gloves. Dark eyes snapped up from the fire to the blond, though the contact wasn't returned. Said blond kept his eyes on his lap, and wrung the material in his hands to keep from fidgeting. "I think we make a pretty good team."

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"And, in order to continue working well, I'd say there's no hard feelings. So…no hard feelings."

It was rather something that had occurred in a spur of the moment. After ogling his face, and _getting caught_ , Naruto tried to steer them away from any further tenseness. In addition to this, he was intrigued by the deeper persona that Sasuke kept away from the world. He vowed to prevent it from distracting him—Sakura _was_ his top priority, after all—but he also thought that it was only fair. Had it been him on the other end, he would've loved to have someone get to know him.

Thunder rumbled the cave from outside, and rain smacked the ground with fat, heavy droplets. "No hard feelings." Sasuke repeated in a sighed tone. Perhaps, he could make the best out of this. Not that his father had to know, once this journey was over.

When the storm had settled down enough to not cause much noise, the two males decided to put out the fire. They didn't need to attract any forest dwellers. Despite the sudden call for truce, Sasuke kept himself tense throughout the night out of fear of being duped. Naruto, also, wrapped his arms around his chest as he laid on his side. The map needed to be protected at all costs, in case Sasuke wasn't the man Naruto was thinking he was.

Outside, not too far from the cave, eyes stalked what could be seen of the two. Teeth were bared before a sharp howl cut through the night. It went unheard by either teen, and the creature of the moon ran off into the darkness.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Ohoho, perhaps Sasuke's getting more of the feels than Naruto? Let me know what you think with a review! The ones I have, so far, are amazing. They honestly keep me writing. I read every single one of them every day, before I begin typing a new chapter. Jojo, I hope you liked Pip. ;) Xoxo!**_

 _ **Until next time! AKA, tomorrow or so.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Heavy rain from the previous night had brought a beautiful morning scenery. Though the sun was just barely freed from the masking of the clouds, it was bright enough to dazzle the forest floor. Grass and leaves dripped with dew, and a soft fog settled over the area. Said dew glistened in the glare of the sun, and light reflected from the water to form an array of colors across the sky. It sat on the opposite side of the sky, in respect to the gradually emerging sun, and the two oogled each other for the duration of dawn.

Sasuke's boots shuffled on the floor of the cave. The sounds echoed throughout, but without the eerie undertone that was expected. He tilted his head stiffly, wincing when a crack sounded, and gave a futile attempt at stretching his limbs. Metal armor and rock-hard cave floors weren't a good mix. As a child of royal descent, he had grown accustomed to the plushness of only the finest cushions and mattresses. Endurance and patience was something an Uchiha learned from birth; he told himself to appreciate his bed the night before his leave. It wasn't easy to do, at the time. Now, he was missing it.

In respect to the occurrences from the previous day, he didn't expect to wake up so early. He had hypothesized that he would rise at noon, again. Normally, this would have happened. Whenever his sleep schedule was disrupted, it took a lot of effort to fix it. This remained true despite the numerous amounts of discipline he'd acquired over the years. Truthfully, what brought him from his slumber was the searing burn of his throat. After intense physical engagement, and a rough altercation with pond water, he was parched.

As he stepped towards the opening of the cave, Sasuke rubbed a hand over his neck. He swallowed thickly, the action worsening the ache instead of aiding it, and ran his tongue over his chapped lips. His hand dropped from neck, thereafter. Outside seemed calmer than it did just hours before, and he contemplated leaving to search for a nearby riverbank. Just before he took a step onto the awaiting grass, he heard a grumble behind him. The sound was sleep-muddled, followed by the shifting of armor.

Naruto graced his vision after he allowed himself a glance over his shoulder. Resting on his side, the blond had curled up into the best fetal position he could possibly muster. He was facing the opening of the cave, and Sasuke was given a good look at his face. For one, Naruto was exotic. The structuring of his face was beyond anything that Sasuke had ever seen; he wasn't sure if the paintings on his castle walls could capture such odd details. Words weren't enough to explain the uniqueness of Naruto's features. Whether or not Sasuke found the blond to be remotely attractive was beyond him. But, he knew he didn't mind looking at him.

Some time went by before Sasuke willed himself to move forward. His lasting thoughts were on the sleeping male in the cave. Though the raven was more thirsty than ever, he knew Naruto's hunger would override any thoughts of hydration. So, along the way of his search for water, he decided to pick up some adequate sticks. There was still deer meat left over, luckily. Before they fell asleep, he was slightly afraid that a predatory animal would sniff out the deer and wander into the cave. Surely some higher power was with them.

Birds sang songs as they hopped from numerous branches. A language foreign to him was communicated between the small, colorful creatures. Each chirped differently, and to each other from across the forest. Sasuke was reminded of Amphibia, and how he yearned to hear the birds. It was relieving music. The sound of running water would've been better. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear any of that. He was in the midst of scooping up a branch when he occupied his mind with Naruto, again.

Strangely enough, he was still hung over by the Uzumaki's comment from last night.

" _J-Just trying to wonder how someone like you could walk freely. You've got a face that only a mother could love!"_

He reminded himself that he wasn't offended. No, the remark was simply out of the ordinary. For one of the small times in his life, he was…. _confused_. In no way was he a vain individual. And, Naruto didn't assume that he was, either. For the most part, the blond was pretty friendly. Sure, as he hypothesized during the beginning of their time together, it could've been an act. But, the way he went about his possible motives was equally odd. He seemed to go out of his way to prove something. What he was trying to prove, Sasuke did not know. In that moment, he realized that he didn't like being confused. He itched to cure his curiosity, and figure Naruto out.

Abruptly, his thoughts shifted to Sakura. Maybe Naruto was trying to win Sakura over. From what he could scarcely remember about her, she was one of the most beautiful princesses known to man. She also had a soft spot that made her loving, regardless of her tomboy-like tendencies. This made her a role model to other young women, in addition to little girls. She added strength and fierceness to femininity. Surely that was enough to make Naruto want to be the "good guy." He was likely putting on a show, creating a false image of himself to get the same recognition as her. Marrying her would only intensify the success of a such a goal.

However, as good as that theory sounded, it didn't explain the fact that Naruto hadn't mentioned Sakura, much. The only time he could recall her name leaving his mouth was when they first met. He was speaking of the direction they should go, in regards to her. It wasn't about her as a person. After all, Naruto's friendliness seemed genuine. Sasuke was certain in that; with all of the fickle people that tried to get acquainted with him, he could pinpoint the blatant qualities that differed. This made him "special," in his own way. Equally enough, Naruto remained consistent in his personality: he was stubborn, stupid, somewhat childish, and determined. The latter was what caused the brunt of Sasuke's problems. _Why?_

The layers of his curiosities proved too overwhelming. He was still thirsty, groggy, and had yet to start cooking for the troublesome blond that was dominating his thoughts. Forcing himself to halt his thinking, Sasuke turned back towards the cave. Busying himself with cooking would prove to be a good distraction. Though his desire for something to drink was only increasing, walking around the forest would serve as fuel for his thoughts. Shortly after making his way back, he returned to the cave. Sad to say, Naruto was awake when Sasuke arrived.

It was as if his thoughts had risen the blond to reality.

"Ah!" Naruto shouted as he jolted up to his feet, "You bastard! I thought you ditched me! And after everything we've been through.."

His tone towards the ending was a playful whine, but Sasuke could tell from the dullness in Naruto's eyes that he was disappointed. Not that Sasuke was back, but at the mentioning of possible abandonment. Intriguing thoughts arose from this, but Sasuke quickly shot them down. He didn't need a migraine before beginning a new day. A sharp sigh left him, and he furrowed his eyebrows gently as he stepped further inside.

"You don't have to yell, idiot," he croaked as he approached the old sticks. They were blackened from the previous flames. Naruto chuckled sheepishly at Sasuke's response, then opted to stay quiet as he watched the raven work with the sticks. Said raven kneeled down, and placed the newly collected sticks into a separate pile. Grabbing two, he began to harshly rub one against the other. It was difficult to start up some heat from the friction, for the sticks were still pretty wet from the storm. Naruto was able to take note of this.

Thus, the moment he saw a sparking light from the sticks, he blew on it. The wind created from his breath heightened the light's brightness, and the resulting reaction was small flames. Sasuke slowly looked up from the flames after placing the additional sticks into it. Naruto had still been blowing, though with a gentleness. It was enough to keep the fire going, and the sticks crackling under its influence. Without his consent, his curious thoughts came back to him. Furthermore, he wasn't aware of his stare becoming analytical, intensifying.

It was inevitable for Naruto to feel the other's gaze. His mind screamed for him to not do so, but like everything else in life, he went against it. Their eyes met, and Naruto countered Sasuke's stare with a scrutinizing one of his own. Between them, the fire flickered and danced. One was trying to read, absorb, and understand. The other wasn't too far off. From the initiator, he could see the depth of the ocean. Similarly, he could see a certain….strength. A strength that he had seen somewhere before, somewhere that caused him an immense array of unwanted emotions. Reacting to this, he narrowed his eyes involuntarily.

Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Naruto saw a difference in him, as well. From all of those who'd crossed paths with him, the Uchiha held a new aura to his person. Naruto's own personal idea on giving opportunities was what kept him linked to the handsome raven across from him. That, and another unknown force. He didn't think too hard on what that force may be. But, his mind did fall back on the "grain of gold." That was enough to pacify any developing thoughts. With that in mind, he allowed himself to be the first to break their eye contact. Surprisingly, a warmth flooded his cheeks as he did.

Like the snap of finger, knocking him out of his trance, Sasuke also averted his eyes. Silence took over the atmosphere in that moment, aside from the burning sticks. He didn't mind though, for he wasn't sure on how to speak on what had transpired. He felt an odd sensation in his chest as he briefly reflected, hoping to formulate a satisfactory conclusion. No such thing happened, and the more he thought about it, the stronger he felt within. Because he couldn't make much sense of his nerves, which were overdriving in his chest, he pushed every complicated topic from his mind. To reassure himself, he convinced himself that the burning heaviness of his chest was his yearning for water. This, he knew, was a lie. But, it made things easier to handle.

The deer they hunted had been pushed further into the cave, in comparison to where they'd slept. The motive behind it was to keep the scent from drifting outside, and alluring predators. It was a doe, and her body had been cleanly cut open by Naruto. Sasuke had cooked the best parts last night, though there was still adequate flesh. Luckily, Naruto had loosened it up. He tore it off of the bone easily, and brought it to the fire to cook.

Breakfast was a fairly short affair, since only Naruto was dining. He ate quickly, so to say. Sasuke chose not to eat, for he knew it would make him thirstier. Dinner had filled him up enough, anyway. After having stole glances from over the fire, as he ate, Naruto caught Sasuke's body language. He scratched and rubbed at his neck. Everytime he swallowed, which was frequently, he grimaced shortly after. Behind Naruto's scabbard was a water canteen, made from a dried out gourd. He hadn't exactly been saving it for a particular reason. He simply kept his most precious items on him: water, and his map. Nessie the First was strong enough to carry all of the food he'd packed.

Swallowing a mouthful, he reached behind his scabbard to carefully dislodged the canteen from its straps. It was extended forward, over the fire, and to Sasuke. The latter was surprised, to say the least. As much as he wanted to jump for the water, his confusion overpowered such impulse. He cocked an eyebrow at the gourd, then up at Naruto.

Grinning with authentic care to give, Naruto shook it in his hand. "For feeding me so much. I don't need you passing out during our travels."

From inside, Sasuke could hear the swishing of water against the gourd. It was beyond tempting. The holder of the gourd noticed Sasuke's moment of hesitation. Taking advantage of this, he wiggled his wrist some more. His teasing worked; soon enough, Sasuke warmed up to the idea and accepted the water. Watching him pop it open aggressively, and drink from the rim, ruined his image on the Uchiha's presumable daintiness. The crisp water was chugged without mercy; some of it dribbled down his chin, and he paused in his drinking to lick it up.

Naruto was reminded of a wild animal of some sort. He wasn't disgusted by it, though. Rather, it made him laugh. By the time Sasuke had finished downing the entirety of the canteen's contents, the other had fallen into a fit of laughter. Such a bubbly noise echoed throughout the cave's interior, adding to the layers of it. At first, Sasuke had responded with a rather dark look. The sudden hydration ran through his veins, and repaired his thought process. Thus, he was able to regard the previous incident as his rare moments of vulnerability.

When his dark look proved to have no effect on Naruto, he relaxed it. Self-image, and its alleged importance, was taught to him. He'd internalized the necessity to maintain a specific outlook on himself, and portray that to those around him. Despite that fact, Naruto didn't apply to it. There was enough peculiarities about him that made him an outcast to this rule. Besides, there wasn't anyone for miles besides himself, and Naruto.

Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to mind much when he started laughing, too. It wasn't as obnoxious as Naruto's, but it was there. The sizzling of his chest returned, all the while.

* * *

"Dammit, I gotta go!"

Upon their permanent depart from the cave, they had continued their travel. North was the obvious direction. Repetition in their direction was disregarded after the pressure of gravity began to take a toll on them. They were travelling uphill, towards the mountains. Along the way, the forest area became more dense. Trees were taller, and thicker in their extended leaves and branches. It was much harder to tell the time of day. Open spaces, and the occasional meadow, served as the only available indication. Walking uphill was much more exhausting, and Naruto's blunt exclamation came just in time.

Sasuke had been fairly exhausted himself. From what he recalled of his last sighting of the sky, the afternoon was changing into evening. There was still enough sun to highlight the green of the leaves. He rested the ache in his thighs by slowly sitting on the ground.

"Whatever," he sighed in half-hearted exasperation. He wasn't sure if they'd entered Lupine or not, so he was on edge. Danger was lurking in every corner, giving him validation to be on high alert. Nevertheless, nothing had yet to look suspicious. So, he determined a small break wasn't too risky.

Naruto didn't need much more of a permitting response. The instant Sasuke seated himself on the forest floor, he started for a spot of privacy. Moving off of their path, he delved deeper into the expansion of trees and long brushes. He didn't spend too much time looking for a suitable spot; he knew that if he was _too_ particular, he would end up urinating himself. That would be pretty pathetic.

It took some time to move heavy armor out of the way. Once all was set, he stood against a tree and relieved himself. The sound of the stream made him briefly self-conscious. At the same time, with the feeling of releasing pressure came shamelessness. He sighed in relief as he finished up. During his fixation of his underclothes and armor, he heard a ruffling of shrubs behind him.

He jumped to turn behind him, an almost comical look of shock taking over his face. Truthfully, he expected to see Sasuke. The thought spread a warm flush over the bridge of his nose. Nothing was behind him, and he settled down drastically. Nonetheless, the ruffling noises returned within seconds. His expectations drifted to the appearance of a helpless animal. Pip crossed his mind, and he didn't hesitate to investigate with welcoming intentions.

As he stepped towards the direction of the sound, he called out. "Don't be afraid, whatever you are.." Uncertainty clouded his tone towards the end. Still, his optimistic assumptions didn't falter.

Dried up, fallen leaves crunched beneath his boots as he walked. Other than that, all was silent. Naruto was beginning to lose faith when, suddenly, a stick snapped audibly. The sound startled him, and he looked down at his own feet to verify if he was at fault. He moved his boots to search, taking a few steps backward in the process. Midway through his search, another sound reached his range of hearing.

Rumbling. It wasn't a purr, but rather a throaty sound. It repeated in a purposeful rhythm, and Naruto quickly identified it as growling. The sound was a canine's growling. Goosebumps spread over his skin in a strong wave, and he nearly shivered at the sudden bodily response. He recoiled just slightly, yet still attempted to look over the tall brushes at the possible source.

Whatever it was, was no longer shy. Hefty steps were taken as louder noises signified its approach. Naruto's eyes widened beyond their normal size as the animal made itself known. Emerging slowly, from the various shades of the forest's green, was a coat of white. Large paws imprinted their size into the soil beneath them, and soon enough, an even larger dog had stepped forth. It stood taller than Naruto, raising its snout to emphasize this fact. Such a height increased, for it bent its hind legs to puff its chest out. The fur behind its head was unruly, standing erect, which added to the intimidating look. Its ears were brown and floppy, and its eyes resembled that of a feral's. With its lips curled back, sharp teeth were bared as more growls left it. Carefully held between the teeth was an arrow.

The arrowhead was darkened with dried blood.

" _Ahhhh_!" Naruto finally screamed, causing a vicious bark from the oversized dog. The force of the initial shock wore off, and he turned on his heel to run. His limbs moved faster than he could willingly control, for his brain registered the thuds of quick paws behind him. Sticks tripped him as he ran, but the adrenaline brought him back up to his feet. The metal armor was a burden for his arms and legs, and the extra weight proved tiresome. To avoid being caught for slowing down, he moved in zig-zags through the forest; whipping around trees and taking sudden turns, he hoped to surprise the dog off its path.

No such thing happened, however. Everytime he glanced behind him, he noticed the dog only skidding to the side. It seemed to have a good grip on the ground, for it had yet to fall despite Naruto's unpredictable choice in direction. Believing he had no other leads, he decided to move towards his last resort.

The aforementioned "last resort" was Sasuke.

The Uchiha had stayed seated, waiting for Naruto's return. During that time, he had closed his eyes to think. The silence around him was aspiring enough for him to formulate clear thoughts. He didn't expect to be knocked forward from a rough bang in his back. It erupted a short moment of deja vu, and he wasn't too surprised to find Naruto behind him. Surprise came from the blond's frantic look, and antsy mannerisms. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he gracefully rose to his feet.

"What the hell, Naruto?" he questioned coldly. Naruto wasn't phased, however, and looked towards where he'd presumably came from. Sasuke followed his line of sight after receiving nothing but heavy breathing. He didn't see anything. Rather, he _heard_ something. Namely, the sprinting of his companion's pursuer. The annoyance left him with the drainage of any color in his face. This thing sounded….beastly.

And, as he predicted, an oversized, rabid dog approached his vision. He gasped, his body suddenly tensing with a surge of preparation of exertion. Unlike Naruto, the shock was gone as quickly as it came. His hand shot out, and he gripped the other male's wrist before beginning his own escape from the dog. He subconsciously remembered to stay on their path while practically dragging Naruto. From behind, the dog tirelessly chased them. Angry barks tore through its throat; it was excited, and motivated to move with more speed. This, also, brought Naruto to catch up to the raven's speed. The former released him, and they were quickly running beside each other.

Deeper into the forest, they'd been forced to split up from the decreasing amount of space between trees. Flicking past extended branches, and jumping over pesky logs, Sasuke kept a lookout for Naruto. Bright hair could be seen not too far from him. Harsh pants burned his throat, and his limbs ached. Nonetheless, his adrenaline rush reigned over his body. It pulsed with an overbearing presence as the dog barked, and slammed its way past any possible obstacle.

Suddenly, as both Naruto and Sasuke were to enter a clearing, three new, large canine-like animals came into view. Like a blur of color, they each popped forward. Their teeth were exposed in what was supposed to be crude smiles.

" _Boo_!" They all barked in unison, bringing both boys to a skidded stop. Humans' laughter bubbled from their throats, and they each snapped their jaws soundly in an indication for what Sasuke and Naruto were to become: their next meal.

Sasuke had felt his heart stop when he was faced with the three animals. They were as large as the white dog behind them, and definitely going to be a greater challenge than the frog had been. Instantly, he ran towards his side. This way, he would avoid the bloodthirsty animals coming from both in front of, and behind him. Naruto caught onto this, and figured out Sasuke's tactic faster than he normally would have. Thus, his feet started for the path that the raven chose.

The animals leaped forward upon seeing the boys' retaliation to run. The white dog had joined, forming a pack of wild dogs that outnumbered those they chased. Sasuke made sure that all four were following him and Naruto before moving straight, and back in their correct pathway. Now he knew, they'd entered the land known as Lupine. His understanding of the territorial dwellers was clear, as well. Either way, he still remembered his yearning for the completion of the quest. So, he began to think of a plan to get rid of the animals.

While he deliberated the plausible success of a plan, they'd entered the clearing. It was a wide one, surrounded by the trees of the forest. There were also bulky rocks. Beforehand, possibly years ago, it had been a meadow of some sort. Now, it was littered in patches of missing grass. Sasuke's eyesight permitted him the ability to see dents in the barks of the surrounding trees. Because he used to train in a clearing, he could tell that the dents were from sharp weapons. Up above, the sky was bleeding a dark orange hue. Streaks of pinks and purples accompanied the dominating orange.

In their short time of lonesome, Sasuke and Naruto ceased their fleeing. They hunched over, bracing their hands on their knees as their chests heaved rapidly. Heat formed a sweatband around Sasuke's forehead, and he pushed his bangs back to air it out. The orange cloth around Naruto's head acted as an actual sweatband, and he adjusted it to relieve the sticky feeling.

"I thought you only had to take a piss!" the raven hissed breathlessly. Beside him, Naruto's head shot up from its hung position to defend himself.

"I _did_! That shit came out of nowhere!" he argued with a deep furrow of his eyebrows. His body had stiffened from his heaving momentarily; after stating his claim, his head bowed again as he attempted to regulate his breathing.

Before Sasuke could respond, loud barking and woofing marked the presence of the dogs. The first to step out was possibly the largest of them all. It was as bloodily orange as the sky, though the fur around its eyes was black. This feature spread to its ears, giving it a more foxish look. From the size, posture, and look in the red eyes, Sasuke could tell that this was the leader of the pack. Behind it was an auburn wolf, with deeply red fur beneath its eyes. The red formed shapes, being upside down triangles. Next was a silver wolf, which seemed to have heterochromia; one eye was red, like the leader's, while the other was a dark brown. Running down the red eye was a jagged scar. Lastly was the first dog, who held the arrow in its mouth.

The arrow snapped between its teeth as they stalked forward.

"Look what Akamaru found, guys!" the auburn wolf exclaimed excitedly in a raspy voice—Sasuke assumed from the depth of the voice that it was a male. In addition, the expressiveness of its face added to further assumption that they weren't normal wolves. As if everything else about them didn't point to that.

The leader chuckled, and the one addressed as Akamaru yipped in response. The pieces of the broken arrow had fallen, and clattered pathetically on the floor. Sasuke noticed that Akamaru wasn't as expressive in the face, and obviously couldn't talk. He rose from his hunched position cautiously, and his hands twitched as he glowered.

"Well, well, well," the leader suddenly began tauntingly, drawing all of their attention, "If it isn't mini-Minato!"

Sasuke's face relaxed into a surprised look, and he traced the leader's crimson eyes to the boy beside him. Naruto seemed just as shocked, if not angry. His brow wrinkled with blatant fury, and his fists tightened at his sides.

"Kurama," he spat in response. His tone was tight, as if the mere saying of the name gave him a bad taste in his mouth. Kurama seemed to feed off of this, for he laughed in amusement.

"I hear the kingdom isn't doing so well, not with _you_ as the leader!"

Sasuke only blanked further. What was this 'Kurama' going on about?

"You shut the hell up, you stupid fox! At least I've got the courage to be out here, on _your_ territory! You know you won't be allowed to leave alive if you crossed into _my_ property!" Naruto jerked a thumb into his chest to maximize the meaning behind his point. He also spit on the ground with intentions of pure disrespect, at Kurama's paws. Sasuke was briefly worried that this would provoke an attack from the pack. Instead, Kurama continued to laugh.

"Hahaha! I knew you'd be a brat since the day you were born! You humans all disgust me!"

As he started up another fit of laughter, the silver wolf focused on Sasuke. It scrutinized the raven with enough depth to cause him to look up. They made eye contact, and the wolf suddenly perked up with a twitch of its tail.

"Ah, there's an Uchiha afoot." it commented calmly, its voice being drastically more relaxed in juxtaposition to its leader. Kurama paused in his boisterously deep laughter to scan Sasuke's person. Its red eyes first narrowed with a contemplative hum, then widened with newfound interest.

"You're right, Kakashi," Kurama suddenly murmured. Unlike his reaction to Naruto, the fox sounded much more upset at this. Knowing that made Sasuke angry. At the same time, adding to his anger, he wondered what this canine had to say about his clan. Even though he wasn't thoroughly noted by them, he never tolerated any disrespect towards his family and their name. In preparation to fight for his pride, Sasuke gripped the handle of his sword.

Kurama noticed this, and gave a look of further consideration. "I hate humans, but I hate _Uchiha_ even moreso. I never thought I'd see another one, let alone in my own land. First Minato's offspring, and now an Uchiha. What should we do with them?"

All the while, it had been Naruto's turn to be confused. ' _Sasuke…is apart of the Uchiha clan?'_ Suddenly, he felt even more insignificant than he'd permitted, beforehand. His posture stiffened from its previously raging reverie, and his deepening glower loosened.

Sasuke, in opposition, grew angrier. "Let us through, and there'll be no bloodshed." he said tersely. His wrathful aura leaked from his body, and infected Kurama with a strike of the fox's back. The fur on said back stood upright, and he hunched with a snarl. Around him, the other canines prepared to pounce at their leader's order.

The auburn wolf suddenly spoke again, the excitement having never left his tone. "I say we eat them!" he suggested eagerly, his teeth being connected by strings of saliva. Akamaru barked in agreement.

Naruto quickly regained his rigidness, for the subconscious reaction regarding self-preservation was stronger than his own self-deprecating thoughts. Kurama seemed to agree to the auburn wolf's statement; he moved forward stealthily, with a taunting slowness, and his omegas followed behind him.

Sasuke began to take steps back, despite his overbearing urge to swing his blade across Kurama's face. Thinking logically, he knew they were outnumbered, and out of competition in strength. Not to mention the sudden fatigue from hunger, thirst, and overexertion. The latter was mostly due to the armor weighing them down. So, his best bet was to remain intimidating. Naruto stepped back as well, but took a few steps in front of Sasuke.

He noticed the other male glance in surprise, yet confusion. "Just stay behind me," he muttered to the raven, who could do nothing but obey. Their swords were unleashed in harmony, though this didn't do much to frighten their opponents.

The sun descended as the growls and bays of the canine pack increased in volume.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So sorry for the overdue update! These past few days have been pretty eventful, and writer's block has been creeping up on me. Also, my workouts have been kicking my ass! I have to learn to stretch!**_

 _ **Jojo, I hope you enjoyed seeing Kurama. You've been buggin' about him! I know he wasn't in for very long, but he'll be back for some time in the next chapter. Hopefully that comes out sooner.**_

 _ **Let me know what you think in a review! Reviews are my guardians against writer's block, lol!**_


	8. Chapter 8

Thick, furry tails swung in excitement from Akamaru and his copper companion. Kakashi, with his silver fur standing out from the darkening sky, was more contained. Whether or not he was eager for an attack was incomprehensible by his prey. Kurama, once standing tall, was now crouched and cunning as it stared. The tawny wolf would occasionally lick his lips, stifling the excessive amounts of drool from his muzzle. As a pack, they appeared to be waiting for a move. It was up for the opposing party to decide. This worsened the tension of the shared air.

In his chest, Sasuke's heart began a flurry of quick beating. Throbbing seemed to serve as a better word; such angry pulses could be felt in the back of his throat, almost as if his heart was trying to climb out of his mouth. Breathing was becoming a challenge, though he made sure to suppress the heaviness. He was sure that his heartbeat could be heard. Making his breath audible wouldn't help the situation.

Naruto was nearly in the same boat. Due to the protective stance that he held in front of Sasuke, he felt more face-to-face with the beasts upon them. Kurama held a mocking look in its bloody eyes: it was trying to provoke a reaction. In all honesty with himself, the blond wished not to give in. Nonetheless, he could not forget the indirectly disdainful words that the fox had for him. Regardless of the difference in size, Naruto was not one to tolerate any form of disrespect towards himself, or his kingdom. His only problem was his lack of a strategy.

Luckily, the raven behind him had already brewed up a plan. With unhurried movements, Sasuke released a hand's grip from his sword's handle. The weapon was balanced in one hand while the idle one reached out. He slithered it around Naruto's torso, and gently pulled. Naruto willed himself to take a few backward steps at the subdued signal to do so. His eyes stayed locked with Kurama's, for his actions caused the fox to flinch. It was prepared to pounce at the slightest form of possible retaliation. Now that he was aware of this, Sasuke slowly averted his eyes downward and brought his lips to Naruto's ear.

"The rocks and trees. We'll climb," he breathed in a whisper. His lips were almost pressed flush against the lobe as they moved with Sasuke's words. In addition, his ebony tresses tickled the whiskered cheek. Naruto crushed the urge to shiver from the sensation, and instead permitted his face to warm up. As a hope to distract Sasuke from feeling the warmth, he nodded in understanding. He refrained from looking over at what the raven was referring to. Though, he'd seen it once they had first entered the clearing. The wolves' own ears flickered as they strained to listen in.

"What'd he say?!" the auburn wolf exclaimed in obvious frustration. Akamaru gave a steady growl, conveying his own discontentment.

"W-We're just confused on why you've decided to be hostile with us. We were only passing through!" Naruto responded quickly, having spoken the first cover-idea that came to mind.

Akamaru's growl instantly turned into a loud bark. The sound resembled that of protest and argument. Kakashi translated shortly after the boys frowned in confusion; his tone still held a certain calmness, almost indifference, despite such an agitated atmosphere between them. "You actually came close to slipping past us, had you not tried to hunt Hinata."

Hinata? Sasuke let his eyes travel to the side, past the pack of dangerous canines. Towards the frontier of trees, where they had come from, he could make out the devastated arrow. Akamaru had broken it, and had been carrying it in his mouth beforehand. The reddened arrowhead enlightened him of who Hinata was, and just how badly they'd made a mistake. Naruto was on the same page, for he cursed under his breath after stealing a glance at the weapon they'd used. Kakashi snickered, taking a slight step forward.

"You've caught on now, haven't you? Poor girl, she is." he teased, his tone of voice now holding one of mockery. To add to it, his tail wagged softly behind him.

The boys knew they couldn't stay still any longer. If they didn't make the first move, the wolf pack would. Who knew what _they_ were planning? Nothing good, presumably; their advantages, regarding size and strength, were sure to be put to good use. Overhead, the sky's color had dulled drastically. Pretty pinks and pastel reds morphed into the inky blue shade of dusk. A few stars twinkled, some brighter than others, and the waning gibbous dominated. Its faint light illuminated the various shades of the pack's fur coats.

"...Now!" Sasuke suddenly whispered in Naruto's ear. His arm, from around the other's waist, pulled backwards as he sheathed his sword and turned on his heel. The blond yelped as he was practically yanked in the opposite direction. Due to the natural state of self-preservation, he quickly regained his footing, slid his blade into the scabbard, and followed Sasuke. As they'd discussed moments ago, the rocks and trees would serve as adequate places for refuge. Between the two, Sasuke was faster, so he reached the rocks first.

Seconds after the two broke out into a sprint, Kurama started for them with a near-deafening roar. Its omegas trailed it from there, the four of them watching Sasuke's moves. The aforementioned raven jumped onto the cumbersome stone, its height being sufficient enough to reach a high tree branch. He grasped the highest one he could reach, then grunted as he lifted his body. Curling his legs, he maneuvered himself unto the branch. Despite being far up, in respect to ground level, he continued to climb further. His body quivered with equal amounts of fear and resolution. Simultaneously, his muscles pulsed with enough adrenaline to withstand the extra weight of the metal armor.

Below, Naruto had been watching his partner closely. He intended to mimic those actions. The desire to do so, perfectly, skyrocketed when he took note of the vicious snarls and barks from behind him. Unlike Sasuke, he wasn't able to run as fast. Not only were his boots heavier, but his ability to remain calm had not been mastered. Being aware of the pack chasing him, with _killing objective_ , threw him out of whack.

He approached the same rock, stepping onto it with slippery movements. He noticed the Uchiha making his way up, which caused him to panic. "Hey! Sasuke!" he screamed, stretching his arms out for assistance. Sasuke turned his head downwards, then acknowledged the panicked look in Naruto's eyes. Briefly, he assessed the range of distance between them, and the pack. It wasn't much, becoming lower and lower by the second. With this in mind, he took a seat on the branch and straddled it firmly. Ankles crossed for good measure, he reached down and took Naruto's forearms.

As he'd begun pulling him upward, a sharp tug on Naruto's leg almost brought both of them back down. Kurama had reached them in rapid speed, and took it upon itself to grab Naruto's boot with its teeth. Sasuke's eyes met with the fox's; from the deep red irises, he picked up on a malicious undertone. The other wolves had stopped running, resorting to circling the tree in predatory stances. With Naruto swinging amid them, he quickly realized the trouble they were in.

"Let go," Sasuke ordered, his brow furrowing into a dark look. It frustrated him to think of the difference in circumstances, had he obtained the power of the sharingan. The threat behind his command would've proven more effective. Kurama's eyes widened in surprise, before narrowing with anger. The intensity of the look reminded it of someone it hated, someone related to the raven above him. It released Naruto's boot, much to the blond's relief, before baring its teeth in a rather unsightly smile.

The loud crunching noise that followed rattled Sasuke to the core.

Raw pain was relayed through the blood-curdling scream that tore through Naruto's throat. Kurama had snapped its jaw down on his boot. Its massive teeth sunk through the material of the footwear, and into the flesh. His skin had been drained of its color, and his facial expression twisted into one of agony. Regardless of the severity of his countenance, he was unable to express the amount of physical discomfort, and suffering. Blood oozed from the wound, and stained the pearly whites of Kurama's teeth. The fox truly resembled that of a savage demon.

Sasuke was both disgusted and horrified in one. He wasn't granted enough time to let the emotions settle in; the heavy amount of blood gave him enough of a warning to begin reacting. Quickly, he released Naruto's forearms to shift his hold on him. He brought his arms beneath the blond's, and hooked his hands over his shoulders. Naruto had practically gone limp, aside from the slight squirms of pain. From there, the Uchiha was at a loss. What should he do? Naruto was losing ounces of blood by the second. If a tug-of-war began, he'd lose his entire _leg_. They didn't have any medical supplies to patch up an injury, let alone a torn limb.

His thought process was disturbed when Naruto began being pulled away. Sasuke no longer considered the dilemma. His only focus was on keeping them alive, and safe from the teeth of the pack. Thus, he pulled back, countering Kurama's force with that of his own. He knew the fox was containing a majority of its strength. If it wanted to, it could tear off Naruto's leg without much effort. Instead of ridding him of the pain, he chose to torture the blond. Something about that made Sasuke both angry, and curious. Why was it choosing to go through the trouble of providing a slow death? He hypothesized the possibility of a personal vendetta, considering this and the earlier conversation.

" _Ahhh_!" Naruto screamed again, for another noise sounded. In contrast to the earlier crunch, the noise resembled a sickening pop. From what Sasuke could see, their pulling had dislocated his leg. The blood had also seemingly accumulated, for it dripped from Kurama's mouth, and into its fur. Because he wished for nothing but them to survive, he continued to pull. Even though the condition of Naruto's leg was deteriorating, he refused to end their quest here. Not to an arrogant, cunning fox demon and its minions.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Kurama released its hold on Naruto's boot. Its jaw opened with a pitiful whine, and its body had been knocked towards the area of the clearing. Skidding across the grass from impact, the fox was tackled by something much smaller in size. The whine had turned into snarls and roars towards the offending being. Naruto's leg dangled once it was freed, and Sasuke enveloped him closer to his person after sitting upright again.

"Are you alive, idiot?" he asked the wounded male in his arms, who laid his head on his shoulder weakly. Soft breaths escaped him, though he didn't respond. Not even towards the insult, which Sasuke purposefully incorporated for the sake of riling the other up. Nevertheless, his breathing served as confirmation to survival.

Down below, Kurama was able to fling its attacker away from it. The attacker remained balanced, and soon revealed itself to be a woman. Sasuke observed her from his spot in the tree. In the moon's glare, her skin was as pale as snow. Its glow contrasted greatly with the chesnut waves of unruly hair, which veiled her face from her side-profile. Adorning her body was a dark blue dress, which appeared to be expensive. He could tell, from experience, that the material was costly. She crouched before Kurama, back bent and fingers curled in claw-like positions. He couldn't grasp the fact that a _human_ had been able to attack the fox so ruthlessly. Then again, from the looks of her stance, it was possible that she wasn't actually human.

Akamaru and Kakashi ran from the tree, obviously aiming on aiding their leader. Before they could reach said leader, they were knocked down in the same manner. Akamaru's white fur, and Kakashi's silver fur, gave light backgrounds to the dark bodies of two more "humans." Similar to the woman, their skin was a sickly white. Additionally, they had dark hair that stood out in juxtaposition to their skin. They wore black suits that held an elegant air to it, despite the disheveled look it acquired. With the same abnormal strength, they wrestled their respective wolves. The woman had also gone back to fighting Kurama.

Basically, the clearing had become a battlefield between the wolves, and the supernatural humans.

Sasuke concluded the situation to be suitable for an escape. His arms fell from the pits of Naruto's, and instead wrapped themselves around his hips. This way, he was able to lift the blond up and bring his body over his own shoulder. Naruto didn't protest to the way he was carried. The pain in his leg had vowed him to silence, aside from his shallow breathing. Sasuke kept one arm around Naruto to steady his weight, and used the other to keep himself upright.

The idle hand was quick to make use of itself, for the tree began to shake. Sasuke gripped the branch for support, then investigated the cause of the brutal shaking. Down beneath them, the wolf with ginger fur had begun to thrust his body against the tree. His brute strength took a toll on the tree, for it groaned in the process of being taken down. Keeping his hands tight on the branch, and Naruto's body, Sasuke hoped to the heavens that the tree didn't fall.

Before he could finish his prayer to whoever might've been listening, the ginger wolf gave a hard enough smack on the trunk to bring it down. Wind blew in Sasuke's face as he, and the massive plant, cut through the air on their descent down. He slid both arms around Naruto to keep him from falling, then waited for the tree to come as close as possible to the ground before hopping off. Mid-air, he turned his position to land on his side. This way, Naruto was not injured any further during their landing. When it hit the ground, the thick leaves of the tree obscured them from view of the red wolf.

Sasuke listened in as the auburn canine audibly sniffed, most likely trying to find proof of their death. His paws were heavy as he stepped closer and closer towards them. Doubtlessly, his nose picked up on the short space between them and himself; although he stopped moving, excited growls emitted from his lips. Sasuke loosened his grip on Naruto, preparing to fight. His inability to stand a proper chance, in oppose to the beast, did nothing towards his will to try.

Notwithstanding his devising for a clash, he did not need to fight. A loud sound of two forces knocking together, followed by a cry from the wolf, graced Sasuke's ears. It seemed that instead of keeping the tree standing, the heavens brought forth another unnatural being. Whether or not they were being protective, the raven did not know. Whichever the reason was for their fighting against the wolves, Sasuke was secretly appreciative. Slowly, his actions laced with hesitance, he re-fastened the clasp of his hands on Naruto's person and brought himself up to his feet.

From underneath the soles of his boots, the forest soil squelched softly. The radiance of the moon on his boots presented a shallow pool of blood. He listened in for his travelling partner, who was breathing unevenly. ' _I have to get him to shelter, and somehow fix this…'_ he thought with a grimace aimed for the blood. Thereafter, he internally damned Kurama for being the cause.

Moments following, sounds of the battle had subdued. Replacing the barks of the canine pack were the cheers and vulgar shouts of humans. Peering over the leaves of the fallen tree, and to the clearing, Sasuke caught sight of the pack leaving. It appeared to be a begrudging retreat, taking sour attitudes and wounded egos with them. Once they had disappeared into the forest, returning to the opposite side of the clearing from his orientation, Sasuke became aware of an added member to the party of humans. It was another man, his skin ghostly and his body clad in a black suit of the wealthy.

He stood out from the rest of those around him, for he was calm. His head was slightly bowed forward, as if he were thinking. However, when Sasuke's analyzed him, he looked up and made eye-contact. The Uchiha withstood the instinct to duck and hide. Because the unnatural humans had an atypical amount of bodily strength, they were automatically a threat. Still, he didn't want to pinpoint his inner fears. Instead, he glanced down at his bloodied boots to avoid further contact. The cheering had stopped then, and he felt a chill run over his body.

"I mean you no harm." a velvety voice suddenly breathed from behind him.

Sasuke jumped, whipping around defensively to look. The man from seconds ago now stood before him, arms crossed and gaze intense. Initially, he had his sights on Naruto. Said blond was unresponsive both verbally, and physically. When this fact became apparent to him, he let his eyes roll up to face Sasuke. Up close, the man was oddly enticing. His facial features were tight, sharply outlined, and exquisitely handsome. As the cherry on top, a strangely fitting warmth could be found in his eyes. The latter was bright, resembling molten caramel, and soft. Like the other supernatural beings, his skin color was terribly subtle, nearly transparent. He was definitely _not_ human.

"Who are you?" Sasuke growled, protectively holding Naruto to him.

"He's losing blood," the man said, ignoring the raven's question entirely. He gestured to the blond, who was still bleeding. "I can take you to seek medical attention. Trust me."

Pride challenged reason, convincing Sasuke to turn from the man. Something about this stranger made him uneasy. Especially the way he eyed the limp blond hanging over his shoulder; it couldn't be placed exactly, though it was anything but reassuring. Reason told a better tale: he was in no position to help Naruto, if he walked away from this opportunity. They were far from any form of civilization, most likely, and they were oblivious to any other obstacles of fatality. To heal his inner conflict, and make a decision, he looked towards the clearing. The group of other supernaturals had disappeared without a trace.

"Please forgive them." the man chuckled, quickly directing Sasuke's attention back to him, "They've had too much to drink, tonight."

Suspicion was heavy in Sasuke's body language. It leaked into the atmosphere between them, but the man remained rather unmoved. The shadow of a smile lingered on his face, and he held his hand out invitingly. "Please." he repeated, though begging more so than simply speaking.

As if he were responding, Naruto groaned in pain from on Sasuke's shoulder. He shifted again, his unmarred leg twitching. The man raised his eyebrows expectantly, silently using that occurrence to validate his point. Like the wolves had, Sasuke begrudgingly walked forward to the man. He didn't take his hand, but instead walked beside him while holding the blond.

He didn't know what the night held for them, from there.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I'm so sorry! It's been over twenty days, how horrid of me. I had the first part ready, but life got in the way. Also, Jojo had holiday for two weeks! So, I took a break to wait for her return. I am not giving up on this story anytime soon. Don't forget that!**_

 _ **Also, school's coming up for me next week. Give me some time to adjust with that before another update. Before then, I'll try to squeeze one more chapter in. If not, you'll know why. Just know that I**_ _ **do not**_ _**plan on being nearly a month late, again. This was just bad. I hope you enjoy the chapter, though it definitely wasn't worth the wait. You too, Jojo! Enjoy. Xoxo**_


	9. Chapter 9

Above, in an entire world of its own, the sky held a fluorescent beauty that was the moon. It glowed upon the children of the earth, adding a certain simplicity to the wonders of the night. Creatures were audible as they resumed their routines, the evening being when they rise. Cutting through the dense forest was a roadbed, a man-made trail of mud covered with stone. Hooves clanked atop the sturdy trail, adding to the noise of their surroundings.

Sasuke couldn't hear much besides the horses' steady walk, and the soft crunch of the wheels against the roadbed. The windows of the carriage were fogged over, a red substance smudging their clarity. He couldn't decipher what was occurring outside. If he was lucky, he caught an occasional glimpse of the trees rolling by. Inside, the carriage was cushioned with the finest material. Both sides of available seating were coated in various silks, velvets, and cotton. From what he could see through the darkness, the theme colors were navy blues and jade, outlined with blacks that accentuated the differences in shade.

"Nn…." Naruto released a moan, the sound being laced with purified suffering. Its rawness penetrated through the tight clench of his teeth. His body writhed, and it was then that Sasuke remembered he still had his companion in his hold.

"I'm gonna fix it, Naruto, just be patient."

Despite his rather terse response, Sasuke held sympathy for the injured male in his arms. It appeared to be that Naruto was always ending up injured. Although it wasn't exactly Naruto's fault, he was starting to quickly become a burden. Simultaneously, he was being too much of a hero. Archetypically, the sustaining of various injuries made for a better victor in the end. These thoughts made Sasuke question why he even bothered to ensure that Naruto survived. When his brain threatened to remind him of his perception of his companion, he quickly turned to a new topic.

Carefully, Sasuke balanced Naruto's weight with one arm, using the other to reach into the latter male's armor. Rolled neatly against his bosom was the map, in which Sasuke retrieved swiftly. The carriage rocked a bit, causing Naruto to release another fuddled noise of pain, though the Uchiha silenced it with a firm hold of his shoulders. Holding the map horizontally, he released the end to allow it to unravel. He successfully managed to reveal the appropriate side, in respect to their previous destination, and peered through the poor lighting to read.

According to its contents, they'd crossed Lupine already. From what he gathered through the red veil of the windows, their current location was associated with less forest life. The trees were tall and skinny, and a fog had settled over the area with an ominous undertone. These qualities did not correlate with the forest that he and Naruto had been pursued in; the luster was gone, and the color had been drained as they moved further along. The bright moonlight was useless, for there was nothing to reflect off of. Such characteristics were rather gloomy, and decipherable for what was to come upon them.

Outside, a muffled cough graced Sasuke's ears. He was startled enough to glance out of the closest window, trying hopelessly to check the setting around him. There was generally nothing to see; the bleak trees had remained in their positions, flaccid and crooked like the fingers of the wicked, working tirelessly at the burn of midnight oil. However, the Uchiha prince was able to notice that the subtle blurriness had subsided. The fingers of the forest had stilled, signifying that the carriage was no longer moving. In a moment of precaution, Sasuke singlehandedly rolled the map back up. After stuffing it into the armor over his chest, he extended his neck to look forward from out of the window.

Though it wasn't easy to do so, he was able to catch sight of a gate. Long bars of blackened steel stood as tall as the trees, having been perched firmly into the ground. Seemingly stretching on forever, the gate formed a barrier between the forest trail and its contents. The fog had thickened beyond the gate, making it impossible for Sasuke to steal a peek at what lay ahead. The only source of light belonged to Luna, who was too far up in the sky to provide adequate aid.

Coughing sounded yet again, being louder this time, before the carriage moved. It rocked gently under the influence of a shifting weight, and a small form jumped from the seat outside. Sasuke recognized the short, stubby old man that came into his line of sight as the carriage driver; dressed in a dark suit of formality, and missing a hand, he was an evidently tired soul. At this moment, he shuffled with achingly slow steps towards the front of the gate. Sasuke could no longer see him after he'd reached a certain point, for one of the horses blocked the way. Thus, Sasuke focused on his auditory senses.

All was momentarily still, aside from Naruto's shallow breathing at his ear. After a minute or two had gone by, Sasuke began to wonder about the old man's whereabouts. Had he been harmed along his way to the gate? The night's circumstances could prove that theory correct, which paved the way for brewing apprehension. The horse that obscured Sasuke's view gave a light whip of its tail, emitting a grunt that cut through the overbearing silence.

Following that noise was a metallic click, before the screeching of the steel bars filled the air. With unrushed motion, the gate's doors spread open. The growing apprehension had caused a ball to form in Sasuke's throat, and he swallowed it when the passageway was accessible. It bobbed painfully in his throat, and his hold on Naruto's limp frame tightened subconsciously. The old man returned to the carriage seat as the gate finished opening, settling into his seat. A final cough left him before the horses were summoned to move, and the carriage resumed its rocking along the trail.

Initially, the fog had submerged them into an unsettling blackness. Nothing could be seen, and no sounds could be heard. Even the everlasting brightness of Naruto's hair, which was so close by, could not be detected in the absolute absence of light. Sasuke found himself in a state of irritable longing, for if he despised any of his feelings, it had to be suspense; being rid of his ability to see was torturous, especially in this case scenario, and he hated his lack of the Sharingan. An additional concern was Naruto's condition—if the worst commenced, he'd be defenseless. It would be a pathetic death.

Regardless of his insecurities concerning the situation, Sasuke remained stoic as he stared out of the window. He silently strained to see something, _anything_ , in the surrounding pitch black blanket. It was no longer a fog, but rather a cloud of gloom. Dark eyes met the overcast, the former flickering around relentlessly with the intent to execute its purpose. The strain was soon unnecessary, for a thin path of light was created from a single ray in the distance. Said path expanded in its width, growing larger and more blinding as they drew closer. Abruptly, within a minute's time, the light had won over.

Welcoming Sasuke's sight was none other than Gehenna, his new destination.

Contrary to popular belief (and what was written on the map as a description), the city was not engulfed with the burning of the damned. Instead, it was bombarded in the beauty of advancing civilization. As the carriage rolled by, Sasuke relaxed enough to calmly observe. Buildings were constructed with the most interesting designs, being evident results of newfound industrialization within architectural tools. Intricate detailing added sophisticated beauty to the overall structures. Houses, markets, eateries, antique stores, and everything in between, held a touch of new-aged influence.

From inside the carriage, Sasuke caught the whiff of warm baguettes, and freshly brewed coffee. His stomach cried painfully from within his armor at the smell. Nevertheless, he continued to feast his eyes upon the many attributes of the city known for alleged melancholia. The aforementioned word seemed like an insult, for there didn't seem to be an inch of sadness detectable. It was then that Sasuke decided to focus his attention on the people.

Molding into their place of residence, the men held an air of status to them; their clothing was nothing short of extravagance. Hats of length covered their heads, and animal coats rested on their shoulders. Foxes, jungle cats, and forest creatures accentuated the look altogether. Women were equals to the opposing sex in that aspect. Like the woman that had battled Kurama, the females all roamed the streets in obnoxiously exquisite dresses. Jewels and sparkling rosaries countered the men's fur coats. Carriages moved in sync with the people, simulating fluidity.

To put it simply, Sasuke was amazed. Alongside this, he felt strangely comfortable. The preceding days of his and Naruto's journey were pretty rough. It didn't do for a good impression, considering it counted as the first time Sasuke had left the castle on his own. The many creatures that they'd come across was equally disturbing, and generally exhausting. Being around those that both looked and acted like him put Sasuke to ease. Naturally, familiarity brought relief.

When the carriage came to a stop for the second time, it was upon another gate. This one was shorter, and the bars were connected by the twists and turns of the city's numerous designs. A young boy stood at the front of it, his appearance reminding Sasuke vaguely of Naruto; sandy blond hair covered his head, though in pretty waves rather than Naruto's shagginess. His bright blue eyes widened, for the man that had offered to take Sasuke and Naruto to medical attention lept from his seat beside the old carriage driver. He approached the young boy calmly, but Sasuke could tell that his words were laced with urgency. The young boy nodded in affirmation, then rushed to the raven's carriage door.

Sasuke stiffened when the door was opened, revealing him to the cold air of the city. The young boy briefly scanned him, then laid his eyes upon Naruto's injury. Said blond moaned in pain, for the chilly air from outside settled on his gaping wound. The man moved to stand behind the young boy, his own eyes looking over the wound. Unlike the boy's evident squeamishness, the man held a look of concern.

"Please, hurry and get him inside," the man ordered, his voice a soft tenor that left no room for opposition. The young boy's eyes flickered up to meet Sasuke's own with expectancy.

"Allow me to carry him," the young boy offered, holding his arms out invitingly. Sasuke was unable to detect the potentiality of foul play. If anything, the offer caused him to remember the genuine loyalty of his own servants back at home. In his state of comfort, he began to trust. Therefore, the Uchiha gently placed Naruto in the young boy's arms. The latter male was able to balance the weight of his new burden, surprisingly, while maintaining that Naruto's injury was not irritated further.

Freed of tending to his companion, Sasuke stood and stepped out of the carriage. His exposed skin quickly brewed with tingling goosebumps upon leaving. As Naruto was carried past the gates, which were presumably opened beforehand, the man silently led Sasuke along. It was then that he noticed the enormous palace that sat within the gate. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head; the building was extremely wondrous in its entirety. Being a prince, he was immune to large homes of royalty. However, he'd never seen anything like this. Even in its state of uniqueness, he felt as if it were his own.

The carriage was led inside the gate, then off the trail that led to the front. Double-doors posed as the entrance, fitting into place with the rest of the palace. Before the young boy could find a way to open them, while balancing Naruto, they'd done so from the inside. Another man stood within the doorframe, a look of surprise washing over him. Sasuke was quickly entranced by _this_ man's face. To put it frankly, he was beautiful. His face was masculine, yet incredibly soft, and his eyes were fluorescent orbs of jade. With full lips, pale skin, and long dark hair that framed his face, he was a sight to see.

"My God!" he whispered in shock, taking a step back as he noticed Naruto's mangled leg. The young boy raised his arms, and Naruto's limp body.

"Monsieur Ange, he needs help," he pleaded, in which Ange collected Naruto in his own hold. Carrying the Uzumaki as if he were a dying bride, Ange turned to take him inside. Before he left, however, he took a moment to acknowledge Sasuke's presence. Sasuke fought from blushing under the strikingly piercing gaze, though was unable to stop the warmth that spread to his ears.

"Make sure that he is cleaned up, fed, and given a place to rest."

With that, Ange moved with a graceful stride into his home. The young boy, who Sasuke guessed by now was a servant, took his hand and began to direct him inside. He closed the door behind them, then started for the stairs stationed at the center of the expansive front room. The man followed Ange, his eyes trained on Naruto intensely. Sasuke noticed this, and frowned in suspicion. Once this action was made, the man looked up. Feline yellow stared at inky black, and a tenseness overtook the two of them.

"Sir," the young boy urged, tugging at Sasuke's hand. The Uchiha broke their stare, and glanced down at the young boy momentarily. In the short second that he looked away, Ange and the man were gone. This stirred Sasuke's suspicion, causing his frown to deepen before he began walking.

* * *

Gehenna was increasingly growing on him.

Sasuke had been taken to the second floor, where he was brought to a woman named Celeste. She was a dark-skinned beauty on her own, her small frame being covered in a simple dress. Her clothes matched the level of the young boy's, who was formally addressed as Bel. The two of them were indeed servants, who worked together to first remove Sasuke of his armor. They did so in a manner that prevented Sasuke from doing any moving. He only moved to take the map, which the servants respectfully pretended not to see. Having the heavy metal off of him was a mixed blessing; his limbs were released from the poundage, but his sour body odor was also free to take over the room. Celeste had inhaled sharply, then refrained from breathing for a moment, while Bel wrinkled his nose in disgust. However, they made no comment.

Shortly after taking his armor to be polished, Celeste took Sasuke to another room on the floor. In that room was a large wooden tub, which was set with steaming water and hemp oils. Rose petals floated enticingly, and Sasuke began to undress in desperation after bundling the map with his smelly clothes. He was given his privacy then, allowing him to soak for as long as he desired. The heat of the water unwound his stiff, tired muscles, and the oils helped to clean him off. He ran some of the liquid through his raven tresses, for it still held the musk of the dampness of Amphibia. Inevitably, the water had gotten darker in shade by the time he was finished.

His bath left him feeling fresh, and lighter. Bel provided him with a cloth to pat himself dry, then dressed him in night clothing made of warm, fluffy cotton. The clothes were dyed a lavender color. It complemented Sasuke, and pleased him doubtlessly. Supper was also a moment of pure enjoyment. Roasted pork, minced beef, steamed vegetables, salted fish, rice, bread, and many more foods were offered for his indulgence. The dining area was down on the first floor, resembling the one at his own kingdom. Everything tasted impressively splendid, and Sasuke's comfort permitted that he feast like it was to be his last meal.

Such a great meal prompted Sasuke's drowsiness. Thus, when he was given a bedroom on the third floor. Although it didn't exactly compete with the size of his own room, back at home, it was suitable enough. Furnished with an oak dresser, blazing fireplace, large bed, and single window, it drew Sasuke in easily. The blankets of the bed had called for him the loudest, and were thereby awarded with his body. He enveloped himself in the warmth. His body involuntarily melted into the cushiony mattress, and he briefly noted that his own bed did not compare.

Before he could thoroughly unravel himself sufficiently for slumber, Celeste had quietly made her presence known. He sat up slowly, being slightly chafed at having been interrupted. However, any irritation at her arrival diminished when she made her announcement.

"Sir Uzumaki is awake."

They entered Naruto's room, her leading him the short distance down the hall. Naruto's room had the same components as his own, and the blond sat against the headboard of the bed. He didn't notice them come in, for he was absorbed in a small child that he held in his arms. The little child had her tiny arms around Naruto's neck, her mane of brown ringlets matching the rich darkness of her skin. She turned her head from his neck to face the newcomers, her cherubic face peering curiously at Sasuke. Like Ange, her beauty struck him significantly.

At Naruto's bedside sat another woman. Her hair fell in a golden stream down her back, which curled up at the ends. Her skin was terribly pale, if not transparent, and her eyes were as curious in their violet color as the child's. She, too, was exceptionally striking to look at.

"You must be Sasuke," the woman spoke, her tone holding tenderness. She rose from the bed, a black dress hugging her slim frame. "I'm Soleil."

The Uchiha nodded, turning back to the child. She met his gaze easily, and he couldn't help but to consider the heaviness of her eyes. They seemed out of place on her face, for they held an older look to them. The rest of her looked no older than four years of age. Hard and insightful, she stared with the eyes of a _woman_.

Soleil smiled proudly after following Sasuke's line of sight. "That is Estelle, my beautiful daughter."

He didn't miss the way Celeste deflated slightly from beside him, having caught the action from his peripheral vision. Estelle, the tiny child with a hidden intelligence, gently crawled out of Naruto's hold. He looked shaken from her sudden action, as if being lifted from a trance, then placed all of his attention on Sasuke. Instantly, he beamed.

"Hey! Did you meet Soleil and Estelle?" he asked enthusiastically. He still maintained exuberance despite having been terribly injured just hours ago. Typical bonehead.

"Obviously," Sasuke responded with a frown. Naruto chuckled sheepishly, having realized his mistake, while Soleil merely giggled. Collecting Estelle into her arms, she held the child against the swell of her breasts tenderly. Celeste wrung her hands together from her spot in the doorframe.

"Estelle is hungry. The streets await us," Soleil said, her smile never faltering as she made her leave. Celeste looked on longingly at Estelle, then left with them. She closed the door after them, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone. The former male paid careful attention to the three females as they left, then sighed with the oncoming pressure of exhaustion. He moved to sit at the bed's edge, replacing Soleil from where she had been sitting. On that side of the bed, Naruto's injured leg laid in its bandaged state. His armor had also been taken off, and he was dressed in the same lavender night clothes.

"My leg's feeling better. We should be able to leave tomorrow."

Remembering the sight of the wound, Sasuke looked up at Naruto with incredulity. "I don't think so. That Kurama dog messed you up pretty badly."

At the mention of the demon fox, Naruto furrowed his brow. He scrutinized his lap solemnly, crossing his arms over his chest. The effect was drastic; the blond's energy decreased significantly. Recalling their encounter with the wolf pack, Sasuke was able to hear Kurama's words:

" _I hear the kingdom isn't doing so well, not with_ you _as the leader!"_

That was right. Kurama had mentioned that Naruto was of a royal bloodline. Naruto was a _king_.

"I didn't know you run a kingdom," Sasuke spoke. Naruto's azure eyes snapped up from his lap. A sudden defensiveness washed over him, and the blue orbs darkened before he snapped back.

"Yeah, well I didn't know you're an Uchiha!"

His tone of voice made Sasuke bristle. As if there was anything wrong with his clan, his birthright. He wasn't afraid nor hesitant to voice this. "What's wrong with being an Uchiha?"

Naruto relaxed, for he didn't have a legitimate answer. At least, he didn't feel comfortable with expressing his insecurities in regards to the clan. Instead of speaking, he said nothing. Sasuke allowed the silence to relax him as well. It wasn't like he had enough energy to begin with. Fighting over anything seemed petty and unnecessary at this point. The silence stretched on between them, their eyes on each other while their thoughts in other places. Wood crackled and popped as it was consumed in the fireplace.

"…I'm the leader of my kingdom, in Konoha." Naruto suddenly murmured, his eyes having softened with defeat. A frown was still evident on his face, but it was too light to be of any real malice. Sasuke had released the tightness of his own chagrin, leaning in just barely. Keeping his body language from expressing too much, he became intrigued.

The raven's silence was a queue for Naruto to keep talking. "My father was Minato Namikaze. He was a pretty great hunter, a country boy. He did a lot of hunting in Lupine, hence why Kurama knows about 'im."

He looked down at his lap again, his fingers creating little patterns in the fabric of the blanket that covered him.

"He met my mom, Kushina, on a hunting trip. She was the princess of Konoha at the time, but I guess she snuck out of the kingdom to be the tomboy she truly was," he chuckled through his words, "and ended up recklessly falling in love at a young age."

Sasuke wasn't deaf to the hint of sadness in Naruto's chuckle. Being the perceptive type that he was, the raven was able to tell that Naruto had an immense amount of adoration for his mother. He spoke of her in lightheaded mockery, as if speaking about his own daughter. It made him wonder what had happened to her, but he kept his curiosity controlled enough to just listen.

"They visited each other regularly, in many forests outside of the kingdom. It stopped when her advisers found out about it. Of course, being a princess, there was no way she wouldn't be found out. They had people tracking her every move. When they learned that she had a suitor, they were okay with it. That is, until they found out that he wasn't of the acceptable social status. They urged that she marry a nobleman, or a rich landowner instead. Especially this one guy, Danzo Shimura. He was so insistent on getting her to reconsider. For the economic and reputational sake of the kingdom, he preached that she reconsider things.

"No matter what they said, she remained pretty stubborn. So, she followed through with marrying my dad. Although her advisers didn't approve, she exercised her power to do it anyway. They were able to stay together for a few years, and ended up having me."

Naruto smiled cheerfully when he mentioned himself. Sasuke snorted at the dorky look, thinking on the information he gathered. If Naruto was king, that had to mean his parents resigned. Either that, or they were no longer alive to run the kingdom. He chose to entertain the latter hypothesis—Naruto _had_ regarded them in the past tense. Considering the sensitivity of the possible circumstance, Sasuke proceeded with the question carefully.

"Where are your parents, now?"

He asked the question slowly, tentatively. Naruto picked up on the precaution, and shortened the cheerfulness of his smile before replying.

"Dead. They were assassinated when I was a baby."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Ah, I've finally been released from the hold of writer's block. No, Jordan, I didn't forget about this story. I never will. I am determined the finish. Sorry that it took SOOO long. School got in the way.**_

 _ **I don't think I'll be able to update regularly, like I had done with the previous chapters. But, I will definitely work harder to update more frequently than recently.**_

 _ **I ended the chapter here, since I know a couple of you are wondering about Naruto's background. The next chapter will be a bulk of that, along with Sasuke's own backstory. Basically, some bonding between the boys. It's currently 4am where I am, so I'll wait until tomorrow morning to begin Chapter 10. Or, uh, a more rational time later today. Thank you for reading! Leave a review!**_


	10. Chapter 10

"Dead. They were assassinated when I was a baby."

The tone, coupled with the almost tired smile of the usually exuberant male, was disturbing. Sasuke couldn't quite comprehend the sudden dread that washed over him, stirring his insides like the blunt nails of a creature of malice. No matter what this sudden feeling was, he knew that he didn't like it. Naruto seemed to have noticed the change in the body language of his companion. Thus, he decided to fall silent for a few moments. In this silence, his mind reeled on about the topic at hand. Surprisingly, he wasn't as affected as Sasuke. How could he be?

To him, his parents were merely the embodiment of a dream. His closest passageway to an emotional connection was through images; Naruto's smile gradually faded as he thought of the sacred hallway back at his castle in Konoha. Golden frames embroidered with the careful molding of glass roses held artwork beyond his greatest imagination. Through the bursting colors, the paintings came to life. On his mother's hair was the evident tenderness of brush strokes. Such tenderness contrasted greatly with the near violent emphasis of the red hue. His father's eyes were sketched with clean edges, each eyelash popping freely like the tip of the sword attached to his belt. Sharp seas were trapped in that peach skin.

Each day, upon discovery, the Uzumaki would take a walk down the hallway. It started when he was a child, and gradually grew with him. Despite seeing them everyday, they never failed to amaze him. He tried to long for them, to feel even the slightest bit of melancholy at the sight of them. Envision, he might, that those within the paintings were kept beyond their will, trapped from the tragically beautiful experiences of life. No matter what he did, he couldn't feel sadness, or disappointment. It caused him to briefly question himself, and reevaluate his emotions.

Either way, he came to the conclusion that now seemed unshakable: he couldn't miss something, or someone, he never had.

Beside him, Sasuke's mind was actively running. Initially, he was exhausted; the thought of the bed a few doors down was nibbling at the back of his head throughout. Now, that thought had been expelled by new ones. No parents? The Uchiha couldn't begin to envision it for himself. Although his father had never spared him a worthy note, or paid him the recognition he felt he deserved, he still loved him. Not to mention his mother, whose lap and arms had always been spots of safety and comfort.

To imagine a life without them was like smelling a flower with no scent. Dancing without any music. There'd be no system, no _structure_ , and to live on would seem pointless. His parents were always his motivation to improve, and to envision them as but a story to tell was downright depressing. Quickly, Sasuke rerouted his thinking. A quick blessing was made internally as he remembered that this was _Naruto's_ story. His own parents were safe.

"Who raised you?" Sasuke asked in a soft tone both due to the topic at hand, and attempting to not sound as if he were insulting the blond. Naruto didn't seem to take offense. He sat up a little straighter and smiled.

"I had a caretaker named Iruka," he explained with the utmost admiration. "He was personally chosen by my mother before she died. Apparently, he was the only one that could hold me, besides my parents, without me crying."

Their gazes met as Naruto began chuckling quietly. Sasuke's eyes danced with a sudden brightness, and Naruto took a moment to drink in the sight. Along with his eyes, the Uchiha's entire face started for a gentle look. It mimicked the expression that he took in slumber; Naruto was reminded of their first night together, when he had peeked in on Sasuke's sleep in secrecy. Truly, it was a wondrous sight. It looked best on him.

Wait.

"Ah, _ehm_!" the Uzumaki spluttered, clearing his throat obnoxiously. He caught himself staring with admiration for the second time since they'd met. A faint shade of pink dusted his scarred cheeks, and his thinking process was redirected towards its initial focus. Sasuke frowned slightly, batting his eyelashes a couple of times in subtle confusion.

"A-Anyway," Naruto resumed after collecting himself, lowering his arm from his mouth, "I sorta am the king. I was raised under the different viewpoints of the servants and advisers alike, each of them filling my head with varying ideologies. It wasn't until I was adequately educated by Iruka that I formed a general idea on how I should run my kingdom. Only problem was by then, I was already laced with contempt by my subjects."

His face hardened with a seriousness that bordered fury, his tone growing stiff with evident irritation.

"No one respected me. They _still_ don't respect me. They hated my father because he wasn't some prissy royal that sucked silver spoons. And I became the final straw that broke them off from me. _I'm_ the product of what they deem a 'tainted bloodline.' They see me as a destructive force against the Uzumaki legacy. 'The country boy's maggot,' they say. They…they even speculate that I wasn't meant to be. That my father _raped_ my mother. Can you believe that, Sasuke? Do you actually fucking believe that?"

No. He didn't believe that. He didn't want to. Sasuke was trapped in a state of interest as the earlier feeling of dread increased. This kept him from answering the way he would've wanted to. As he had earlier, he tried to put himself in the other's shoes; he couldn't even begin to grasp the notion of such morbid rumors, being labeled as the result of something so tragically disgusting. His head fell down to his lap, where his hands had subconsciously balled up into fists. The pristine white of the sleeping garments were crumbled within his fingers, his fringe falling against his eyes.

Naruto continued despite Sasuke's silence. "They think nothing of me. I've spent my entire life dedicated to learning the ropes, putting in all my effort to be the best for my subjects. I care about them all as if they were family, since I've never actually _had_ a real family. Do you know how it feels to have all your efforts, your blood, sweat, and _fucking tears_ , spat back into your face?! Into your eyes, burning you with their haughty disdain?! Their words like weapons against your self-esteem, breaking down everything and anything you've ever lived for?! Ridding you of your purpose, belittling you beyond belief?!"

What began as a steady stream had turned into a treacherous sea storm. Perilous waves had rolled off of Naruto, out of his mouth, and crashed along the shoreline of self-control mercilessly. He screamed, his body shaking with what was years worth of hidden frustration. Despite having thousands of backs turned on him, he always fought to maintain some sort of a reputation. He always kept up a bubbly persona, moving past the fogginess of their marginalization of him. This caused his true feelings, the rawness of his emotions, to be bottled up. Now seemed the time that they chose to break free; the demon within him had ripped the chains and diminished the steel bars of the cage.

Sasuke chose to remain quiet once more. He suddenly felt sensitive to the aura of anger that was being sent into the air. Whether or not Naruto wanted to believe it, he, too, was a victim of seclusion. An object of disregard. The only difference was the tone behind their mistreatment: while Naruto had to bear the crude response from his subjects, Sasuke had tolerated years of subtle belittlement from his loved ones. Forever was he the baby, the youngest and most inexperienced. It hurt more to know that those he strived to impress, those who he loved the most, did not think much of him.

The kingdom's subjects had also viewed him as a liability to the world. To them, he either caused destruction, or was a constant target of danger, due to his lack of skill. Despite being a considerable prodigy, he was never adequate. Never did he receive a genuine pat on the back, a statement of wholehearted pride from another. When he did, it was merely out of fear of angering him. Servants could only tell him what he wanted to hear. Subjects were the same, hiding their disrespect with patronizing congratulations.

Like Naruto, these feelings had been hidden. And like Naruto, now was the time that they chose to release themselves into the atmosphere of the previously cozy room.

"I do," he finally said, catching the other male's attention. Said male had fallen into a slight trance, his blonde tresses having been gripped by his hands in what was becoming an emotional breakdown. Cerulean eyes resembled a greying storm over bodies of water, for tears were brewing. They stopped, nevertheless, at Sasuke's mumbled statement.

"What? That's ridiculous, you—"

"No it's not!" Sasuke immediately shouted back, cutting off the response he didn't want to hear. His head snapped up, revealing a newfound fierceness in his expression. Naruto slowly lowered his hands from the sides of his head, choosing to take on the role of silence this time as he looked on.

Sasuke drew in a breath, allowing the cool air of the evening to sedate him. Relaxed enough to steady his voice, he began. "It's true that I'm an Uchiha. That fact doesn't exempt me from the same inattention that you've received throughout your life, though. I have my parents, yes. An organic love from those who gave me life. But never have I been gifted with the qualities that would give me…recognition. Acknowledgement."

"What do you mean? You seem perfect to me," Naruto countered.

"No—see, that's the thing. Everyone _thinks_ I'm perfect. And even then, they use it against me. They use it to mock me, and push me further away from society."

The blond furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. "So what the hell are you whining about, Sasuke? Either the world likes you or they don't. Choose a side."

Sasuke scowled, for he had come incorrectly. As a full-blooded Uchiha, and an image of royalty, concealing his emotions had become instinctive. So, he wasn't the best at communicating them. Not to mention the fact that he was being given the opportunity to reveal something that had been a severe pest to him all his life. Because he didn't want this chance to slip and never return, he was beginning to fumble. It didn't help that he wasn't sure of where to start exactly, let alone bring himself into a state of comprehension for his listener.

Unbeknownst to him, his face had scrunched up in frustration while his fists had balled up tighter. Naruto narrowed his eyes a bit, analyzing this behavior. He found himself doing that a lot lately, but he could not fight it. There was too much to this boy that seemed desperate to be released, to be _understood_. And in this moment, he recognized the moment of weakness that he had witnessed at Amphibia. The frog monster had been taunting Sasuke, and for a second or two, he fell victim to it. He had let the outside force penetrate through the wall that he spent his life building up.

With this frustration, Sasuke currently resembled a child whose tongue had been tied and cut several times. Even though his tongue was being returned to him, it was mangled too much. He couldn't remember how to use it. A piece of his humanity was being shown. It was obvious that this didn't happen very often.

Being the kind of person he was, Naruto's surveying expression faded amid his conclusion. He slowly uncrossed his arms and placed a hand atop one of Sasuke's fists. This broke the raven's momentary derailment; he paused his thoughts altogether, focusing on the gentle pressure of Naruto's palm against his knuckles. The latter was released in its tightness subconsciously, and Sasuke's facial muscles relaxed with another deep breath. His listener sported a look of respectful and undisputed interest.

"I'm listening to you, Sasuke."

The intimacy in the way his name was spoken caused Sasuke's eyes to widen. A new wave of a prickling sensation spread along his body, starting from the tips of his fingers in which Naruto's hand had enveloped. It was then that he noticed his fist had unraveled, exposing his hand to be held. He didn't protest it, though, for it settled him. Simultaneously, his heart started to throb in an arrhythmic pattern.

For a brief millisecond, Sasuke saw the only person that had ever truly listened to him.

 _Itachi._

"Thank you," he whispered in return, taking on another tender look as he recovered. Naruto released his hand after a small squeeze, and Sasuke brought it into the hold of its opposite. Relieving the hand of its sudden coldness, he tried again.

"I was born as the second and youngest son of my family. My parents have shown that they care for me, but in awkward ways. My mother is more affectionate in that she would openly kiss and hug me when the chance was presented upon her. But when we were in public, where she has to keep her image up, she seldom ever took notice of me. My father was the total opposite in that he avoided all kinds of physical contact with me as much as possible. As an infant and toddler, I was left in the care of wet nurses and caretakers, so I was already predestined to have some disconnection with my parents."

In Naruto's eyes, the situation seemed to resemble his own. Though Sasuke's parents were alive and well, they weren't actually there for him. They didn't provide him with the vital necessities that he needed at birth, such as loving contact, nor did they attempt to develop a bond with him from an early age on. He found similarities in his with the paintings of his parents at home. They were there, but not really _there_. Though he understood the hardships that came with ruling a kingdom, he did not find it an eligible excuse to neglect children. It was almost like having no parents at all; you merely became another tenant of the king's household. He released a heavy sigh of silent sympathy as Sasuke continued.

"It didn't help that my older brother, Itachi, was excelling in everything he did. He was five years my senior, and so my parents were more prepared to raise him than me. They didn't seem to want to deal with a little baby, let alone a child that was more needy for attention than his sibling. Itachi might've received the same coldness at birth, but he seemed to fair better, working around the strain in his relationship with our parents.

"The lack of affection from our parents didn't hinder his ability to be kind, either. He was always looking out for me, trying as much as he could to teach me what he knew. I learned quickly, and valued my time with him greatly. But, because of the age gap, even he had his moments in which he would push me aside. His responsibilities were always prioritized by him, and he would always lie to me when I tried to be apart of it. Always."

Sasuke paused to run a hand through his hair, and take yet another deep breath. Naruto placed the same hand as before on his shoulder. He gave it a few rubs, then squeezed it encouragingly. Sasuke nodded in appreciation and affirmation.

"Unlike me, Itachi was born with a niche in the world. His mark had been made, and everyone in the kingdom swelled with pride at his imprints. It was like I didn't even need to be alive, or apart of the royal family. They already had someone who held all of their faith and respect. A heir had been molded sufficiently, and everyone loved him. Every time I tried to make something of myself, I was faced with a comparison of my brother. Nothing I did was original, because Itachi had already done it. Nothing I did was good enough, because Itachi had done it better. All my life, I walked behind my brother, looming over him like a shadow that wished for nothing more than to come into the light. I was stuck staring at his back as we grew, our relationship gradually tightening with an ever growing distance as I became jealous and resentful, and he more resolute in his preparations to become king."

Naruto took advantage of another halt in the story for clarification. "Where is he now? Runnin' the kingdom? Is that why you're here?"

Sasuke shook his head with a sad smile, his head falling again as he returned his attention to his lap. "…Six years ago, when I was eleven and Itachi was seventeen, he was assigned to negotiate a purchase of another kingdom's territory for our own. The kingdom was a week away, being much farther west in respect to our own. Our father had felt it necessary to announce this to our kingdom, along with a bit of bragging about how Itachi was going by himself. I wanted to go along, because I would not only benefit from observing what I assumed would be a successful mission, but I would also miss him.

"I didn't want to ask my father, for I already knew what his answer would be. My mother was a non-factor in all of this, because her opinion never mattered in these kinds of situations. It wasn't like she cared enough to include her input, anyway. So, I decided to ask Itachi if I could join him. My father would consider listening to and agreeing with him more than me, anyway. I expected Itachi to agree and take me along, but he declined. Rudely, at that.

"'You'll only get in the way,' he told me, waving his hand dismissively as he packed. Something possessed me that day to throw a tantrum. I vented, jumping out of my reserved facade to scream at him. I went on and on about how he never pays me any attention, and never gives me the time of day to simply ask how I'm doing, let alone spend time with me. I spoke of how he's the reason why _no one_ sees me, and that he steals the love and care from everyone. He didn't budge throughout, only watching me as my face grew red. His lack of a response angered me further, and I demanded he respond. 'Stop acting like a baby,' was all he had to say before resuming his packing.

"It was then that I said I wished he'd never return. And after he left…he never came back."

Sasuke took another pause to cross his arms, his shoulders hunching forward as his eyes fluttered closed. His voice had turned into a mutter at his last statement, but he didn't go unheard. Naruto had been listening authentically, and was now shocked. He could feel Sasuke's pain through his tone, and sympathized. A lot of people, those who he thought were once companions, had been in and out of his life. However, he knew it wasn't the same in Sasuke's case. The wounds were deeper, harder to heal. Naruto never had a blood relative to love, or watch leave.

"Did—Did something happen to him?"

Some time passed before he received an answer.

"After a month had gone by, we began to grow worried. No sign of Itachi returning came up, nor did we get any confirmation that he'd made it to his destination. The guards that went with him never returned, nor was a carriage or remains found. My parents decided to go to the other kingdom after the fourth week had passed, only to find out that Itachi never showed up. He'd apparently gone missing along the way. For some reason, I wasn't sad he was gone. Selfishly, I began to think that I was finally being given a possibility to shine. I tried to pick up where he left off, maintaining a persona of icy detachment the way he had.

"But, things didn't get better from there. I started to miss him, and faced even further contempt from the kingdom. This especially happened from my father, who didn't try to hide his disappointment at being left alone to deal with me. Subjects took me for a joke, and those who didn't know me took my dedication and professionalism as a use for their mockery towards me. In the end, no one saw that same specialness in me. That's why I decided to take on this mission to save Sakura. I want to prove myself to them, and show them that I'm just as capable as Itachi. I…also want to continue Itachi's greatness. He worked hard to be where he was, I can acknowledge that, and if he's truly dead out there somewhere—"

"What about you?"

Sasuke opened his eyes, slowly turning to face Naruto. The aforementioned male was facing his injured leg, arms folded against his bosom as he listened. He was the first person in which Sasuke retold the incident of his brother, and recited his life story in all of its rawness. Opening unhealed wounds was enough to remove him from reality for a little while. Confusion grew as he returned from the past.

"What _about_ me?"

"You say you want to do this for your kingdom, your parents, and your brother. But what about you? What's all this going to do for _you_? Can you honestly say, for _yourself_ , that you're worth it? Do you think you'll be able to validate your skills after all this, for your own assertion of self-worth and value?"

The silence that stretched thereafter left Naruto to use himself as an example to his words. "I'm doing this to show my kingdom that I am worthy, too. But I already know what I'm capable of. I know I'm not a bad person, or any less than other kings and queens. I just need my people to believe it as well, for the sake of my sanity and self-esteem. I also need them to cooperate, so that our kingdom can prosper at the hands of our unity. There's more to it than just proving people wrong, ya know?"

Immediately after he spoke, Sasuke looked towards the fireplace with a deeper scowl than before. The skin between his eyebrows had wrinkled with the intensity of his expression, which conveyed all of his newfound exasperation. _Was_ he truly doing this for himself? What exactly would he benefit from this if he couldn't come to terms with himself as an individual? These were the kinds of questions that triggered his stress, and minor anxiety. Never did he take the time to evaluate his personal beliefs on himself, nor did he try and construct some form of self-respect. It was all…

"Hey, don't do that."

The Uchiha quirked an eyebrow questioningly. As he turned to face his front to Naruto, he flinched at the sudden closeness they shared. That same hand that touched his shoulder and hand now caressed his cheek. The movements were deliberate, and it was when Naruto withdrew his hand that Sasuke realized he was wiping his face. He was wiping tears.

"Don't cry, teme.." the blond whispered, in which Sasuke struggled to keep his composure. He used the back of his hands to swipe the leakage from his skin, moving away in a silent plea to do it on his own. Never did he expect to be comforted, or coddled in the slightest, by Uzumaki Naruto. This was supposed to be his rival, someone he needed to watch his back over. Not a consultant. Not a therapist, nor someone to tell his most personal feelings and life occurrences to.

He tried to stand firmly by these thoughts. He wanted to protect himself and move forward. But by the time he finished cleaning his face of tears, and attempted to strike Naruto with another one of his masks, he was met with pure care: Naruto's face was warm with a bright smile, his eyes having turned to slits from the width of such a grin. The latter had spread into his eyes, indicating a true depth to the newfound devotion that grew from their conversation.

"Ah," he mumbled, yet again spreading his palm over Sasuke's features, "you missed a spot."

Both hands of the Uzumaki now came into play. He cradled the raven's face, his fingers extending up into the hair that draped Sasuke's temples. All the while, his thumbs rubbed compassionate circles into his cheeks, which Sasuke accepted quietly.

The two sat there for what felt like eternities. No intruding sounds interrupted them, save for the gradual destruction of the wood in the fireplace. That noise was soothing, nonetheless, and they admired the light from the fire that played on each other's faces. Having gone through everything that they've ever kept locked inside, a mutual respect seemed to come over them. There wasn't anything to hold veiled. An unknown force had brought everything of theirs out into the open, and they'd come to let it happen without agitation. There was never any going back from this.

"You should get some sleep," Sasuke whispered abruptly, his warm breath dressing Naruto's lips in a sweetness that sent hot tingles through his nerves. He gave a hearty rub of his thumbs against the corners of Sasuke's mouth, leaning in with slow stealth. The other watched him, his eyelids hooding the dark grey of his pupils in a concupiscent manner. Before their mouths could connect, Naruto stopped and smiled mischievously.

"Yeah. Get outta my room."

Sasuke was released, and he smirked with a sniffle before standing. With one lasting look shared between them, they parted ways.

When he returned to his room, he couldn't help but feel confused. How was it that Naruto was able to be so sure of himself, and maintain some sort of pedestal to sit on, despite everything he's been through? For most, it was no question that Naruto's circumstances were considerably worse off than Sasuke's. Most people considered the raven to be nothing but a brat, his situation having no warrant towards his reactions. This confidence and determination that Naruto had reminded him painfully of Itachi. The initial confusion morphed into a deep admiration, and slight jealousy.

The admiration won out in the end. His heart had started throbbing up again, swelling in his throat and encouraging his hair to stand erect on his skin. Before, it had been because Naruto reminded him of Itachi. He brought back memories that Sasuke had tried so hard to ignore, and stored in a inaccessible trunk at the back of his head. Now that the initial aftershock of such everlasting pain was gone, returned to its trunk for later management, he could only see this admiration out as one that surpassed brotherly affection.

His thoughts surrounded the bubbly blond that rested a few doors down as he laid to rest.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I think I've come to the conclusion that I need to work on my consistency. Thank you to everyone who has stuck through with this despite the immense time in between updates. I will continue to try harder to be more frequent with my postings of new chapters. I hope you enjoyed this, Jo! It's your late Christmas gift. Let's see if I can finish this story by your birthday this year.**_


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